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By the time the Men’s Olympic Tournament London 2012 came around, Ryan Giggs’ legacy as an all-time British football great was already secure. At that stage, his personal honours list included a record 12 Premier League titles – he would make it 13 the following year – as well as four FA Cups and two UEFA Champions League titles.

There was one glaring omission from his glittering CV, however. The Manchester United legend had not yet graced a major international football tournament, with his native Wales having failed to qualify for a FIFA World Cup or UEFA European Championship since he made his debut in 1991.

When it was announced Great Britain would enter a men’s football team at the London Games, then, Giggs’ potential inclusion became a major talking point. Sure enough, he was named as one of Team GB’s three overage players and was handed the captain’s armband. Aged 38, his selection was far from just sentimental – in the 2011/12 season, Giggs had played 33 games for United, scoring four times and providing ten assists.

Giggs led out Team GB in their opening game at Old Trafford, a stadium his sustained brilliance had lit up for more than two decades, as the host nation battled out a 1-1 draw with Senegal.

A clash with United Arab Emirates at Wembley Stadium followed – and it was here Giggs made Olympic history. With just over a quarter-of-an-hour played, he expertly headed home a cross from Craig Bellamy to become the oldest-ever scorer at the Games. At 38 years and 243 days, he broke the record held by Egypt’s Hussein Hegazi, who was aged 37 years and 225 days when he netted at Paris 1924.

Team GB would go on to win that match and their final group game against Uruguay. Their medal dreams were dashed, however, when they lost to Korea Republic on the penalties in the quarter-finals, despite Giggs netting in the shootout.

Nevertheless, the Welshman had seized his chance to shine on the global international stage – and written another chapter in a remarkable career.