Thank You Jonny

With football dominating sport headlines on near enough a day to day basis and of course with the big news that Ryan Giggs has finally retired as a player, even though his role in the past few years has been far less pivotal, it could have been easy for me, as a United fan, to buy into the hype or worshipping of the welsh wizard and focus my blog on him.

Well to cut a long story short, I am not. That is because this week saw the announcement of the retirement of someone who deserves the spotlight far more than Giggsy and that man is Jonny Wilkinson.

So the obvious question people will ask is why?

Well, first of all, within his sport he truly has won everything. From league winner honours in both England and France, to Six Nations championships a plenty and of course the most coveted prize in any sport the World Cup, something that Giggs hasn't even played in for his country.

But more so because Jonny Wilkinson took a sport still in its relevant infancy of professionalism and invigorated it.

That moment in Sydney, with just moments remaining of a pulsating battle between two of the games biggest rivals, changed the way this country looked at Rugby Union.

Gone was the image of larger louts with beer bellies ambling around a pitch and then getting hammered afterwards and in had come this new image of the dedicated player who trained hard and kept discipline.

Jonny Wilkinson is everything that embodies that and more. Rugby at the top level is far more physically demanding than most sports. So much so that boxer Chris Eubank was once quoted as saying that his son couldn’t play the sport because of the dangers caused by its physicality. This is a guy who one tragically hospitalised Michael Watson in one of his fights.

Yet Jonny has remained committed to the cause and at the age of 33 he finally got his hands on European club rugby’s top prize, the Heineken Cup.

There are plenty of comparisons between Jonny Wilkinson and Ryan Giggs. Obviously longevity in a sport they love is one of them, which to be fair Giggs far outlasts most sportsmen in the world.

Then there are the constant battles against injury that at times threatened to prematurely end both of their careers.

Dedication to the sport is the main, key comparison that brings these two great sportsmen together though.

Both players have lived by tough disciplines and commitment to ensure that they can continue to provide top quality performances, even going into the twilight years of their careers, which is further emphasised by the fact, Wilkinson, before he retires, could be celebrating a French League and Heineken Cup double before he goes.

But the thing that divides them is the overall example they have set. Ryan Giggs’ career has been blighted with off the field incident, culminating in his dalliances with his brother's wife, something that, rather unfortunately will always be mentioned when his legacy is talked about.

Yet there are no such incidents to talk about with Wilkinson. He is tee-total, who kept his nose clean and his eyes consistently on whatever prize he was chasing, regardless of any distracting characters or increase in fame and wealth that follows with being a professional sportsman.

In truth he is the ultimate example for budding sportsman. He is someone you can tell your child to go and Google, and learn about without fear of press stories defiling his nature, he has been one of the greatest players to grace the sport and certainly the most influential and for that he will be remembered by nothing but fond memories…. Unless of course you are from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, France or, of course Australia.

Here is that magic moment to enjoy one more time.