Giggs, 36, has been named on the shortlist for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award after a remarkable year that has seen him win an 11th Premier League title and also the PFA Player of the Year award.
The former Wales captain scored his 100th Premier League goal during United’s 4-1 victory at Portsmouth at the weekend and manager Sir Alex Ferguson is expected to offer him a one-year contract extension in the new year in order to extend his Old Trafford career beyond his 37th birthday.
Giggs is set to be rested for tonight’s Carling Cup quarter-final against Spurs at Old Trafford, with Ferguson keen to preserve the veteran’s energies prior to Saturday’s trip to West Ham.
But with the BBC nomination the latest recognition of Giggs’s longevity and success, Fletcher admits that his Manchester United colleague is the perfect example of how to manage a career at the top level of the game.
Fletcher said: “He (Giggs) has got the perfect balance. He’s a wealthy man and he can enjoy himself, but he doesn’t throw it in anyone’s face.
“He’s not in the papers every week for the wrong reasons or daft magazines. He’s a dedicated family man, a dedicated professional and a legend here at United.
“He’s played more games than anyone in the club’s history, won more trophies and scored in every season of the Premier League.”
Scotland midfielder Fletcher has become a pivotal figure in Ferguson’s United team over the last 12 months.
But he credits Giggs with helping him realise his ambition of securing a first-team spot at Old Trafford.
Fletcher said: “It was great to have someone like Ryan here when I was a youngster.
“I looked up to him and saw that there was no ego. If you have an ego at this club, it gets kicked straight out of you.
“It’s not about fame at this football club, it’s about winning trophies. Young players see that straightaway when they join.
“They see Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville. The heroes and inspirations are already at the club every day.
“Some players come in a little bit confident, but it’s out of them within a few weeks. You can’t be like that here.
“The great thing I’ve noticed is that even the young foreign players who come hold the senior players in real respect.
“Cristiano Ronaldo was a hugely talented player, but he hadn’t done it season in season out like Giggsy or Scholesy.
“They (young players) see that when they’ve finished their career, they can look back on successful times with the trophies to show for that.
“Me, Carra (Michael Carrick), Wazza (Wayne Rooney) and Rio (Ferdinand) have achieved a little bit of success, but Giggsy blows us all out of the water.
“We’re all jealous of him and we want more of what he’s had. We want to match his medal haul.”
By Mark Ogden (telegraph.co.uk)
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