Ryan Giggs helped Manchester United reclaim the Premier League trophy. Having won 10 title medals in his illustrious career, should he also get the accolade as the best player the Premier League has ever seen?

It was the 29th November 1987, when Alex Ferguson made one of the best signings of his managerial career. Ferguson signed a 14 year old boy onto the Manchester United’s books. On the 9th July 1990, Ryan Giggs was given a Manchester United contract - almost 18 years ago.

Ryan Giggs made his first team début for Manchester United against Everton, on the 2nd March 1991. That was 758 games ago, now Ryan Giggs has equalled Bobby Charlton’s appearance record for the club and may well surpass it when Manchester United face Chelsea in the Champions League final in Moscow next week.

The Greatest

When people think about the best player to grace the Premier League, a few names always crop up; Cantona, Henry, Zola, Bergkamp, Shearer, Cech, Adams and there are others, but few can dispute that Giggs is amongst the list.

Honours

Looking at his unrivalled war chest of honours (right hand side), nobody comes close to the Welsh Wizard, but its not just his medals that make Giggs the best the Premier League has seen…..

Talent

Giggs started his career as a left winger. His pace, control, balance and skill frightened full backs all over the world. It drew comparisons with another footballing legend, George Best and he was awarded the U-21 European Footballer of the Year.

Aged 17 he became the youngest player to represent Wales internationally. He went on to gain 64 caps before retiring from international football in 2007.

Consistency

Giggs has maintained his form throughout his career at Manchester United, at the top level of football, never making fewer than 30 appearances in a season. A formidable record considering the competition for places and the standard of the game he has played.

Loyalty

In an age where moving clubs every few years is so commonplace, it’s rare to see a player stay at a club as long as Giggs has. He could have earned millions in transfer fee’s over the years, instead he focused on his football.

Off the Field

Giggs is a great role model for children. He now refrains from over publicising himself, something he was perhaps guilty of when he first came on the scene. Even his football boot sponsor has been consistent, Giggs has been with Reebok for several years now and currently wears the Reebok SprintFit football boots.

Versatility

Of late Giggs has demonstrated that he is not a one trick pony. As the years have crept up on him, he has had to adapt his game as he has lost a little of his pace.

Giggs started out as a pacey winger, before adapting to play as a central striker and more recently he has been used as a central midfielder.

Ryan Giggs

Few can contest the ability of Ryan Giggs, he’s performed at the very top level for almost two decades and his attitude has been exemplary. Look at the all round player and person Ryan Giggs is, he’s the greatest the Premier League has ever seen.758

Cristiano Ronaldo has been voted by his fellow professionals as the best player in the country.

Player of the Year

The Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo has scooped the PFA Player of the year award for the second time in succession, a feat last achieved by Thierry Henry back in 2003 and 2004.

Ronaldo had to rise above star studded selection of contemporaries including; Emmanuel Adebayor, Cesc Fabregas, Steven Gerrard, David James and Fernando Torres.

Cristiano Ronaldo wears Nike Mercurial Vapor IV football boots.

Young Player of the Year

The young player of the year award was won by Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas. At 20 years old, the young midfielder is the first Spaniard to have won the trophy.

He beat off challenges from Fernando Torres, Cristiano Ronaldo, Micah Richards, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ashley Young.

Cesc Fabregas:

Of course I am very proud because this is a very prestigious trophy - football is a collective game, and you always prefer to win trophies, but I’m very honoured to receive this award.

Cesc Fabregas wears Nike Tiempo Legend II football boots.

Team of the Season

The team of the season includes one player from each position to make a first 11.

Goalkeeper: David James - Kelme football boots

Right Back: Bacary Sagna -Puma V Konstrukt II football boots

Left Back: Gael Clichy - Adidas World Cup football boots

Centre Half: Nemanja Vidic - Puma V Konstrukt II football boots

Centre Half: Rio Fedinand - Nike T90 Laser II football boots

Right Midfield: Cristiano Ronaldo - Nike Mercurial Vapor IV football boots

Left Midfield: Ashley Young - Adidas F50.8 Tunit football boots

Centre Midfield: Steven Gerrard - Adidas Predator PowerSwerve football boots

Centre Midfield: Cesc Fabregas - Nike Tiempo Legend II football boots

Striker: Fernando Torres - Nike T90 Laser II football boots

Striker: Emmanuel Adebayor - Adidas F50.8 Tunit football boots

There’s nothing like an awards ceremony. Red carpet, cameras flashing, high fashion, celebs, goody bag and all that.

That’s why at Footy Boots, we are asking for your help so we can hopefully experience all of the above plus a few too many glasses of bubbly and a drunken cab journey home interspersed with some of our favourite football chants.

Footy Boots has been nominated as Best Sports Blog in the 2008 blogger’s choice awards, the most popular user-generated blog voting site on the planet!

If you think Footy Boots is deserving of such an honour, and why wouldn’t you, then you can vote on line at this address. All you need to do is follow the link, register and then cast your vote. It’ll only take a minute or so.

VOTE FOOTY BOOTS

If nothing else, it would be great to get a football site to the top of the voting leaderboard. Last year’s winner was a horse racing blog, and we can’t have that again can we?

Go on - this is your chance to generate some excitement in the Footy Boots office, and the last time that happened was when the boss bought in a video of some new Adidas football boots only to find that someone had recorded a film over it best described as adult entertainment!

Here’s the link again VOTE FOOTY BOOTS

Thanks from the Footy Boots team.

Nike have sued Adidas over a Chinese footballer’s endorsement contract in China.

Football boot brands Nike and Adidas have been in court battling over the contract of Zheng Zhi, the captain of China’s national football team and Charlton Athletic player.

Zheng Zhi

Zheng Zhi signed for Charlton from Shenzhen Ping’an on loan initially in December 2006 before making a brief return for Shenzhen Ping’an and then signing a permanent deal with Charlton in August 2007. In his home country, Zheng Zhi is considered the best Chinese player of his generation, making him a key target for Nike and Adidas to market their products in the country.

The argument between Nike and Adidas revolves around Zheng’s initial contract with Nike, which Nike feel was violated by the player and an approach from Adidas during the time when Zheng was contracted to Nike was immoral.

Nike Lawyer Fu Qiangguo:

Adidas contacted Zheng immorally though it knew clearly Zheng was sponsored by Nike. Adidas benefited the most from Zheng’s breach of contract. While Zheng, lured by the good pay Adidas offered, has also harmed Nike’s interest.

The Nike deal which expired at the end of last year, meant that Zheng would where Nike products whenever possible in public and that he would refrain from wearing other branded products.

Adidas approached Zheng in 2004 to become an ambassador for them, Zheng then asked Nike for an improved deal but it was allegedly refused. In court Nike used evidence to suggest Zheng wore Adidas products in 2005, which violated their agreement. Subsequently, Zheng asked to terminate his agreement with Nike and began promoting Adidas products.

Adidas responded to Nike’s concerns by stating that Zheng was not paid by Nike on time and that this broke their agreement. They also went on to state that the reason Zheng wore the Adidas products was, because he was at the time, on international duty and the national side is sponsored by Adidas.

The court have not yet reached a verdict on the matter.

Zheng Zhi wears the Adidas Predator Absolute football boots.

Nike Super Ligera Football Boots

Here at Footy Boots, we rarely like to show off pictures of new unreleased football boots until they have been confirmed by the manufacturer. However the unofficial images of the Super Ligera have been going around the internet faster than Emanuel Eboue goes down after a tap on the ankle and as we’ve been asked repeatedly about the Super Ligera football boot - here you go!

Nike Super Ligera

Despite numerous attempts to contact Nike for the official company line, no-one had got back to Footy Boots by the time of publication.

David Beckham’s Gold Adidas Predator PowerSwerve Football Boots

So Beck’s was granted his 100th cap and as you would expect from the King of Bling when it comes to football boots, he strutted, well he cantered in a nice sparkling pair of Gold football boots, courtesy of Adidas.

Before the game, ardent football boot watchers may have felt deflated, Beckham was warming up at the Stade de France in white PowerSwerve football boots with gold trim - his run of the mill football boots from the DB collection.

But cometh the hour, cometh the photo opportunity!

Beckham certainly didn’t let us down, coming out for the match sporting an embroidered shirt with 100th cap on the chest and yes, sporting a pristine pair of Gold Boots. Golden boots for GoldenBalls.

Having checked with the Footy Boots head boot geek, we can confirm that Beckham’s Gold Boots are no different to his normal Predator PowerSwerves, that is of course apart from the colour. Adidas have made just two pairs of Beckham’s Gold Boots, with 100th cap embroidered on the tongue to commemorate his achievement.

Like Zidane’s football boots in the 2006 World Cup, Beckham’s Gold football boots will not be made available for sale by Adidas.

If you are of a nervous disposition, Welsh or French, this week’s Oh Kay column might be one to avoid. L’enfant terrible Andy Kay is back on the warpath.

Naughty, naughty

England boss Fabio Capello says he’s squarely behind the FA’s ‘respect the referee’ initiative after watching the fun and games following Ashley Cole’s tackle on Alan Hutton in the Chelsea v Spurs game last week. Cole, at least, has had the good sense to apologise for both the tackle and his attitude towards referee Mike Riley. More and more Premier League players seem to be treating the man in black as an annoyance, rather like a large bluebottle buzzing around the family car on the M1, as opposed to the guy in charge. I fear it’s too late for current league players, and although the FA’s move is a welcome one, it doesn’t go far enough. Starting at junior level, one bit of lip to the ref, and the player, and his team, should be marched back 10 metres just as they practice in rugby union. Even more important is to include the raucous parents who scream obscenities from the touchline. Perhaps their enthusiasm to question a referee’s parentage might be somewhat tamed if little Johnny gets a 3 match ban as a result.

Cameras on Cardiff

I’ve got absolutely nothing against Cardiff City but here’s a little scenario for you. It’s the 89th minute of the FA Cup semi final and City’s match against Barnsley is level a 1 - 1. The Yorkshire side make the last attack of the game and a cross from Brian Howard is headed goalwards by substitute Jonathan Macken. The goalkeeper is beaten but a City defender, rushing towards his own line, manages to hook the ball clear. Or does he? Barnsley’s players claim the goal and start celebrating, their dream of an FA Cup final appearance now seemingly a reality. TV pictures prove that in fact, the ball didn’t cross the line but after consulting his assistant, the referee awards Barnsley the goal and blows the whistle for full time. I wonder then if the nonentities that make up the Welsh FA will still be happy with their inexplicable and cowardly decision to suck up to Fifa and oppose goal line technology?

Nosey Michel

Talking of which, one of the architects of the Fifa and Uefa U-turn on goal line technology was Michel Platini. He may have been a glorious player in his day but currently, he shows all the executive skills of a small vole with learning problems. And he just can’t keep his nose out of the British game, criticising this and having a pop at that. Perhaps Monsieur Platini should look closer to home if he wants to effect change. Consider these facts. Eight games in his native France on Saturday produced crowds of 160,000. Eight games in the Premier League on the same day were watched by 243,000 fans….and that’s with none of the big 4 in action. Perhaps that’s the problem. The only reason Platini feels the need to take issue with the game in England is that he realises that no-one gives a flying fig for Ligue 1.

Champion Channel

With ITV retaining the rights to show Champions League football on a Wednesday night, us UK football fans will be assured of some consistency. That being while Arsenal or Chelsea may be away to a top Italian side looking to hang on to a one goal advantage, good old ITV will be showing Manchester United at home to a rubbish French team who they’ve already beaten 16 - nil in the away leg. Got to keep the locals happy….in Surrey!

With none of the Home Nations making it through to Euro 2008, it’s fair to assume that many football fans are going to have quite a lot of spare time on their hands this summer.

OK, it’ll be fine watching the artistry of Henry for France, the defensive know-how of Italy’s Cannavaro or the attacking flair of Portugal’s Ronaldo (though the latter will be harder without the added bonus of being able to scream at the TV ‘go on JT, ‘ave him’).

However, if you want to spice up your Euro 2008 viewing, and find a decent excuse to get out of the shopping during Switzerland v Czech Republic, then the Castrol Index could just be the thing.

As official sponsors of the tournament, Castrol have come up with a fascinating product which will allow all football fans to take on board a huge amount of up to the minute data and turn us all in to managers of the standing of Castrol endorsee Arsene Wenger. However, it’s not clear at this stage if that means not being able to see a game turning incident or bad tackle which happens 3 yards in front of you!

The Castrol Index, which you can find at www.castrolindex.com is up and running ahead of the summer and already is:

Providing in-depth stats e.g. how far and fast players have run (it breaks down how many metres in 5 minute intervals)

Provides heat maps so a viewer can see where a player has run on the field

Ranks every player at the Euro 2008 on a number of criteria (updated by the minute) so you can see which players your team should be signing e.g. the highest ranked player who completes the most passes or makes the most tackles

Real-time updates so player info is updated as it happens (a USP over ProZone or Opta).

You can also see goals scored in 2D versions on the website

Other benefits of visiting the site, once you’ve read every thing on Footy Boots of course, is the chance to win tickets to the Euro 2008 final and meet the player of the tournament.

Despite the best efforts of the Television Match Official (an Australian) denying England a try in the egg chasers World Cup final against South Africa, plus a few other howlers from the wide world of sport, it is getting increasingly difficult to understand football’s lack of enthusiasm for embracing science and in particular, goal line technology (GLT).

There are, of course, some sound reasons against it. Slowing the game down is one, as is the cost of development. But the arguments for not introducing such a scheme are weak in comparison with the benefits. Using the English Premier League as an example, here are just a few reasons why GLT should be used and why it should become the norm.

1) Players and managers are judged on results. Why should they be judged on results which are incorrect?

2) If an audience at home can see if a goal has or hasn’t been scored, how is it possible that the man in the middle can’t be informed of the fact?

3) TV companies and sponsors pay billions of pounds across the world to cover and be associated with major events. Shouldn’t they, their viewers and customers at least be rewarded with the correct result?

4) One wrong decision during a season leading to relegation stands to lose that club £50 million.

According to Sepp Blatter and Uefa President Michel Platini the answer to all of the above is a resounding ‘we don’t care’.

Despite the fact that they backed the idea over a year ago since when a huge amount of time and money has been spent on coming up with a solution based on the Hawk-Eye system, football’s power brokers gave the plan a thumbs down at a recent International FA Board meeting in Scotland. All of this was to the huge embarrassment to the English FA and Premier League who’ve been in the vanguard promoting the idea.

Instead, Platini has persuaded his colleagues to experiment with two extra linesman or goal line assistants. “There is a philosophical debate, it’s very simple,” Platini told The Sunday Telegraph. “Either you help them with additional pairs of eyes or with technology and I’m against technology. Once you start, who knows where you might stop. The 18-yard line, the offside trap? All I’m saying is let’s try my idea.”

Bearing in mind we are talking about goal line technology, it’s ironic that Platini, in opposition to the Hawk-Eye proposal, has simply moved the goal posts.

Strange, you might think, from a man who was part of one of the biggest miscarriages of justice the game has ever known. Clean through on goal in the 1982 World Cup semi finals, Platini’s team mate Patrick Battiston was one on one with the on rushing West German goal keeper Harold Schumacher. Schumacher launched himself at the Frenchman, his hip making contact with Battiston’s face, and the Frenchman fell to the ground unconscious. As Platini said at the time he thought his team mate was dead as he “had no pulse and looked pale.”

Now imagine that the goal line cameras were viewing the field of play and, during the lengthy delay while Battiston was treated, a TMO informed the referee that Schumacher should be dismissed. There is every chance that France would have gone on to win the game and ultimately the tournament itself. Platini’s view on technology might be very different with a World Cup winner’s medal on his mantelpiece.

Blatter insists that “There has been no change of heart. Referees make decisions, not machines,” he said. “I have defended goal-line technology but it has become clear that such systems are too complicated and very costly. Nor would they necessarily add anything positive to the game and could harm the authority of the referee.

“We have to maintain the laws of the game in their simplicity. Do you want technical devices to take decisions? That’s why, after three years of tests with no conclusions, I am in favour of putting the whole thing on ice.”

Cue an infuriated Hawk-Eye MD Paul Hawkins. “”I am livid,” he said.”This decision is completely out of the blue. A year ago they laid down four specific criteria and now they change their minds. My company has invested an awful lot of money and now we will get no return on our investment.”

More to the point however is that some club’s around the world are getting no return on their endeavour. Perfectly good goals not being given, hugely suspect one’s being awarded.

Football may be at the top of the tree in terms of it’s financial appeal but in technology terms, it continues to live in the dark ages.

Images have been leaked that reveal the new Chelsea Home Shirt for season’s 2008 - 2009

Leaked images have been banded around, showing the new home shirt that Adidas have designed for Chelsea to wear from next season.

Here at Footy Boots we try and take a diplomatic approach when it comes to previewing material that is not official, however when the leaking of a new shirt hits the tabloid press we think its fair game to share the news with our audience.

So in today’s Sun we see that they are running with a story featuring Frank Lampard in the Chelsea Shirt. Being the responsible national newspaper that they are, the image must be official, right?

Just take a look at the images below. One is an official image of Frank Lampard in the Chelsea Shirt launch of their current shirt, the other is the new image, with the new shirt.

Now call us sceptical, but these images look remarkably similar. Franks hair gel has maintained exactly the same style for two years and he hasn’t aged one iota.

Anyway, whether the Sun’s make up artists managed to create a miracle or not, we have it from a good source (the guys at Football Shirt Culture) that this is one of many edited images!

New Fulham signing Jari Litmanen could soon be fit to make his debut, thanks to his new football boots.

Jari Litmanen, the Finnish striker signed by Fulham in January is yet to make his debut for the Cottagers, but thanks to work on his new football boots, he should soon be available for selection.

Having overcome a recent heart scare, he has been on the injury list lately with muscle strains. Fulham who are languishing in the relegation zone, are desperate to have the services of Litmanen available as they make a final effort to retain Premier League status.

Litmanen wears Adidas World Cup football boots and has returned to Finland, football boots under his arm. A specialist there has worked with Litmanen previously to alter his football boots to cure the muscle strains. Once the new football boots are ready, he should be fit to play for Fulham at last.

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson “Jari has had Achilles and ankle operations and needs these football boots to correct certain movement in his ankles which, if it doesn’t get corrected, brings about muscle strains. That’s exactly what has happened - he has got a strain on the inside of his thigh that has come about because the new insoles in his football boots that he thought were going to work, didn’t. He has to go back to Finland to have that fixed up. The guy who does it all over there knows all about the background to all his operations.”

As football fans, we all know that it is our right to pass an opinion, have a moan, issue a gripe or just enjoy a cleansing and therapeutic rant from time to time. Whether in the pub with mates, on the phone with a friend or dispatching a few ‘Billy No Mates’ lagers in the comfort of our own living rooms, that is what supporting the beautiful game is all about.

We can take issue with football’s authorities, rival managers and players, opposing fans or indeed, anything or anybody that doesn’t meet our exacting standards. With radio and TV phone in’s, message boards and forums, there are a multitude of venues to spout off.

And now, thanks to Umbro, there is now another avenue for our thoughts and opinions, following the launch of what the company is describing as ‘the most comprehensive football survey ever, allowing fans to express their views on all aspects of the game from players’ lifestyles and goal line technology to terracing and, perhaps most importantly of all, the quality of the matchday pie.

As the survey, which is being backed by former England International and BBC pundit Alan Shearer, rolls out across the year, fans will be able to vote on existing topics as well as adding their own questions to put to the rest of the football fraternity, ensuring all the hot topics from around the globe are covered.

In Umbro’s ‘Have Your Say’ survey, fans will be invited to take part in the year long experiment, resulting in what is hoped to be the most definitive collection of supporter’s opinions ever created. When the whistle’s blown on the end of the survey, Umbro will compile the results into a comprehensive document which it will present to football’s major governing bodies around the world. Whilst it remains to be seen if Sepp Blatter will then feel obliged to launch a full scale enquiry in the quality of the match day grub on offer at Cambridge United or the manager’s programme notes at Sporting Lisbon it’s just possible that your views may make a difference.

If you’ve got an opinion, Umbro wants to hear it. So don’t just tell your mates over a post match beer - tell the football world at large.

Give your point of view at www.umbro.com/have-your-say

Nike Sports Research Lab

Footy Boots recently visited Nike’s World HQ in Portland, Oregon (USA) to take a behind the scenes look at the Nike Global Football Department. In our third and final part of the series we visit the Nike Sports Research Lab.

Read Part One of Footy Boots Nike FIS Series: The Nike Football Story: From Obscurity to Leadership 1994 - 2008
Read Part Two of Footy Boots Nike FIS Series: The Nike Football Boot Story

Part 3: Nike Sports Research Lab (SRL)

Never before opened to non Nike employees, Footy Boots was welcomed into Nike’s highly classified Sports Research Lab by Senior Researcher Erez Morag, the man responsible for putting the likes of Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Alexandre Pato, and Ronaldinho, through their paces in the pursuit of creating the perfect football boot. The Sports Research Lab is a closely guarded secret in the football boot world, existing to help understand the needs of the athletes and the demands of the game to subsequently apply the acquired knowledge to the making of ground breaking, innovative football products.

Before Nike launches a new football boot to market, Erez and his staff will identify a range of critical skills for analysis in order to allow the football boot brand to create a boot for the individual player both at a professional and amateur level.

Initially, feedback will be gathered from players, doctors, researchers, and trainers, to determine which elements should be applied to the latest football boot model. The SRL will also conduct in depth analysis of player movements during football matches in order to understand the products that would most benefit a player throughout the full ninety minutes of a match. Erez’s studies found that the most frequent player movements during a match were acceleration (58%) and passing (20%). Nike will undertake a biomechanical analysis of its individual athletes on the training pitch and in the Sports Research Lab, allowing them to work both with and without the ball, to ascertain their own acceleration patterns and other typical game movements. Once Nike understands what the player wants and what the modern game demands, the new football boot will be tailored to suit. Certainly we can see in the construction of the Mercurial Vapor 4, the reduction of the overall weight of the boot through the use of lightweight carbon fibre and a streamline boot shape, combined with innovative traction concepts and functional plate characteristics to prevent foot slippage, allows the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gabriel Agbonlahor, and Aaron Lennon to accelerate away from opposition defenders with relative ease.

As football boot consumers we demand the perfect product to help improve our game, often neglecting the behind the scenes work that goes into achieving the finished article. Following our visit to the SRL, Footy Boots found it highly refreshing to see at first hand the amount of analytical studies that Nike puts into perfecting each new football boot model, before it adorns the feet of the world’s leading footballers and Sunday league players alike.

Football boot brand Puma is looking forward to a bumper 2008 following the release of its 2007 sales figures.

Although 2007 contributed little in the way of global sporting events, the german based company successfully strengthened its positioning as a desirable sportlifestyle brand, which is well reflected in the improved gross profit margin.

In 2007, worldwide brand sales were up 3.4% currency adjusted, amounting to € 2.7 billion. On a comparable basis, consolidated sales climbed by 4.7% to € 2.4 billion. The gross profit margin jumped by 170 basis points to over 52%, and operating profit was above last year’s, totalling € 372.0 million. Earnings per share increased from € 16.39 to € 16.80.

Jochen Zeitz, CEO stated: “Although Puma faced a challenging year, we did not only meet most of our expectations in 2007, but even exceeded them in many points. Puma had an excellent and successful start into the extraordinary sports year 2008 by winning the African Cup of Nations through Egypt’s win, securing a strong brand visibility on the pitch as the leading equipment supplier. We are determined to make use of all opportunities and chances that offer further growth and we will continue to invest and to strengthen the brand’s as well as the company’s desirability in the long run.”