alternatehistory.com

Popular pub topic over the years... and he's in the news again.

Ryan Joseph Wilson, or as he was later known after adopting his mother's maiden name... Ryan Giggs.

Born in Cardiff, Wales 1973, Ryan Giggs would later go on to become one of the most decorated footballers of all time - winning 2 Champions Leagues, 12 Premier League titles and 4 FA Cups. Sadly, as a Welsh international, Ryan Giggs is considered (in Britain at least) to be one of the best players to have never played in a World Cup behind George Best and Alfredo Di Stefano.

As the "pub legend" goes... Ryan Giggs captained England at schoolboy level, playing at Wembley Stadium against Germany in 1989 but "chose" to play for Wales instead of England. This part is fiction since Ryan Giggs was never eligible to play for England - the England schoolboys side only requires that you go to school in England - nationality isn't taken into account.

Why this is such a tempting tale is that the England international side has not had a decent left sided winger since John Barnes' time. There have been times of national hysteria in England since 1996/97 where we've suggested that we would or could win the next World Cup... but we've had to endure left sided makeweights like Trevor Sinclair littering up a potentially beautiful but sadly overrated team.

POD is a challenge. Ryan "Wilson" moved to north Manchester when he was 6 because his Rugby League playing father started playing for Swinton in 1981. Even if he'd made the move earlier, you'd have to wonder whether a Welsh international wouldn't want his son born in Wales.

Another possibility is that somehow FIFA forces England and Wales to field one side (although a Welsh professional league exists, several top Welsh sides already play in the English leagues). Not sure if it's worth discussing a POD in this case.

Obviously we all know that this would mean England would have won the World Cup in 1998, 2002, 2006... with Graham Taylor as manager... obviously.
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