A stunned Ryan Giggs hailed being named BBC Sports Personality of the Year as being among the high points of his career.
The Manchester United winger beat bookies favourite, Formula One champion Jenson Button, into second while Trafford Athletic Club's world heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis finished third.
Giggs, the most decorated player in English football history with a record 11 Premier League winners' medals, said: “It's a shock, it's a big shock.
“As if I wasn't nervous enough, my heroes Seb Coe and Michael Johnson are here.
“Honestly this is unbelievable. I have been lucky enough to win a lot of things in my career, playing with great players and under the greatest manager that ever lived, and playing for the greatest club.
“This is up there with all of that. I grew up watching this TV programme and to see all the people who have won it and to be up there with them, it's unbelievable."
Giggs, 36, is the first footballer to win the award since David Beckham in 2001 and will hold discussions with manager Sir Alex Ferguson about a new contract when his current deal expires at the end of the season.
“My contract ends at the end of the year but hopefully there will be another year after that," he said. “It's unusual for a 36-year-old to be playing with a team like Manchester United for 20 years but I am enjoying it and long may it continue.”
Giggs gained 29.4% of a public vote on the night, a total of 151,842 votes. Button got 96,770; Ennis 80,469; cyclist Mark Cavendish 55,960; Cheshire gymnast Beth Tweddle 38,907; diver Tom Daley 36,929; tennis star Andy Murray 19,936; England cricket captain Andrew Strauss 17,237; world heavyweight champion David Haye 13,916; and world triple jump champion Phillips Idowu 4,507.
A total of 516,473 votes were cast, dwarfed by the 10million-plus for the X Factor on ITV.
England's Ashes heroes were named team of the year for their achievement in beating Australia this summer, while Fabio Capello was named coach of the year ahead of United's Sir Alex Ferguson.
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt was named overseas sports personality for the second consecutive year. Bolt lowered his own world records in the 100m and 200m to 9.58 and 19.19 seconds respectively in winning both titles at the World Championships in Berlin.
Teenage world diving champion Daley was named the young sports personality of the year.
The 15-year-old, who won the 10-metre platform world title, beat off the challenge of tennis player Heather Watson and athlete Jodie Williams.
Seve Ballesteros won the lifetime achievement award for his contribution to golf while the Helen Rollason Award for outstanding achievement in the face of adversity went to Major Phil Packer, who suffered spinal injuries while serving in Iraq and took 13 days to walk the London Marathon on crutches.
The unsung hero award went to Doreen Adcock, a 72-year-old from Milton Keynes who has been teaching swimming for the last 35 years.
Did Giggs deserve to win the award? Tell us your views.
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what a joke
Typical it's a Bitter first up!!
Arise Sir Ryan, well done ol chap!!
one award left and that would be giggsy's knighthood!
City fans, those who have left the early comments on this thread show you all up and epitomise beautifully why you are called bitters.
Well done Giggsy, thoroughly deserved for that rare thing - a player who achieves genuine legendary status while he is still performing at the top level. Let's hope he goes on for a few years yet.
Let's be honest, the bloke deserves it; his dedication to football and years at the top should be commended.
Well done thoroughly deserved for all his years of dedication and loyalty, Yes sometimes he infuriates but there is no doubting his ability.
Elano idiot it is the public who vote for the award you plonker. and for tony coleman it is you who are the joke.
Commend stretfordblue for his comments for looking at the players achievements not the team he played for.
Stretford Blue Well said that man!
P.S. which school did you attend?
Well, done to Ryan, brilliant football player and a gentleman who has kept MUFC and the City of Manchester on the world map.
To the negative bitters posting on this site you should really try to be a little mature. You remind me of little children who throw a tantrum because they want what the bigger kids have and mum wont let them have it.
Elano's PR Manager, Gorton
Not bitter then are we? Oh dear wipe that foam from your mouth!
AS A BLUE, CAN I JUST SAY GIGGS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE TO ALL YOUNG KIDS, NEVER IN THE RED TOP TABLOIDS, ONLY WISH HE PLAYED FOR ENGLAND AND STAYED WITH US AT MAINE ROAD AS A YOUNGSTER, SO WELL DONE MR GIGGS AND PLEASE RETIRE SOON.
Atleast Stretford Blue is not a bitter like the rest of you. Well done you for being honest, makes a change from the rest of those idiots that come on our site. To be honest, the candidates weren't that good but Giggs deserved it. Let's hope he wins title number 12 this season. All together now....Giggs, Giggs will tear you apart again!
Thanks for the congratulation Stretford Blue in America.. Some things are obvious, class is one of them and you have it !!.. If anyone could and should be appreciated for his excellence on and off the field it would be Giggsy. Its hard to be in the spotlight all these years and still be clean as a whistle and a great example to the youth of today.. I am sure that others from the Blueside will share your feelings..
well desrved briliant player and great ambassador for the game...My favourite United player of all time along with Bestie
Can't agree with this award. Yes, Giggs is a great footballer who has served United well. And yes, he's a fantastic ambassador of our game, but in the past the award has always gone to people who've achieved something special during the previous year. What has Giggs done during the last year that's so special? There were plenty of other worthy candidates, our own Beth Tweddle for one, but I find it incredible that Jenson Button came 2nd. He excelled himself this year and must be gutted. If I was Jenson I'd be feeling very disillusioned about the whole affair!
The most decorated footballer in the English game..won an incredible 11 titles plus 2 European..F.A.Cups,League Cups,Footballer Of The Year, Young Footballer Of The Year,Record appearances for Utd,Record for an outfield player in the premiership,over 150 goals for Utd...and more to come!
The next footballer to be Knighted, a worthy successor to the name legend.
In a month when the whingers introduce rosler to their hall of fame...we wheel out a true giant of the game!!!!
The people of Manchester should demand that this man be awarded the freedom of the City..now!
Well done Giggsy as a role model there has been none better!!
To the Bitters on here, now be careful what you post, remember your executive Gary Cook already sort of announced this didnt he, or was that the United personality of the year, something like that. Dear oh Dear
congrats to Ryan for winning yet ANOTHER trophy...let's hope it's not his last for another few years yet:)
on a side note, nice to see that not all CITEH fans are bitter and hateful!
Goodonya Ryan........a class act like you surely deserves it!
I remember one of his early goals as he danced around about 4 QPR defenders the commentator said " The Boys a Genius" and he is still.Most importantly he is humble and a fine example to any young pro.
He is simply class.
Voted by the people who have watched him over the years, the public.
A testimony to his greatness
A worthy winner, what this boy has achieved beats anything, the most decorated player in English football, and as he said playing for the greatest manager ever at the worlds greateset club.
Congratulations Giggsy. Now no more performances like Saturday
I expect all the people complaining about the result were too wrapped up in X Factor mania to vote, You know the type the ones that complain about the government but never vote. As Ryan said "The greatest Manager, The Greatest Club" To maintain his position for 20 years got my vote, Congrats too for Usain Bolt,The fastest man on Earth, Who by the way supports United. On On On
RESPECT.
Flintoff said even though he was a blue, he hoped Giggsy won it.
Shame some of his fellow blues don't have the same class as Freddie.
You Bitters are totally pathetic. Give credit where it's due for God's sake. Giggsy's was a deserving winner of the award last night. It would have been an injustice if Button had got it because in his sport it's the car that counts not the driver. Does the driver get berated when the car breaks down ? Of course not so why give all the credit to a bloke that won a few races in the best car around. Giggs's award is justified for this year's achievements and not for a lifetime achievement as has been suggested. His 11th premiership winner's medal, a European Champions Final medal ( although a loser's medal ),150 goals up, a goal scored in every one of the Premiership seasons and recognition as the Footballer of the Year. Not a bad effort really. Somewhat better than anything the Bitters can throw up. Well done Giggsy and many congratulations on your well deserved award. I may even forgive you for walking past me on Deansgate and not saying G'day Bill.
like colemans socks your comment stinks well done giggsy a GREAT player and a GREAT lad.