Life & Times Ryan Joseph Wilson was born in Cardiff to Lynne Giggs and Danny Wilson. He later took his mother’s surname after her separation from his father. He lived in Cardiff until he was seven, before moving to Manchester in 1981 as his dad was signed up to Swinton’s Rugby League side. It was a move he disliked, not least because the local kids mocked his Welsh accent, which he soon lost. Giggs played for England schoolboys, leading to the myth that he rejected England in favour of Wales, his international team. Ryan explains: “There was no choice. I played for England schoolboys because I went to school in England. But I was born in Wales, as was my mum, dad, and my grandparents. I may speak with a Mancunian accent, but I’m Welsh through and through.” In school, the speed and balance he’d inherited from his dad made him stand out in playground football matches. His break came at the age of nine when a Manchester City scout spotted him in a game for Grosvenor Primary School. Ryan was invited to City’s School of Excellence, but, bearing in mind his staunch devotion to the red half of the city, always wore a red shirt, even thought the coaches frowned upon it.