The night Ryan Giggs scored a wonder goal to beat Port Vale ... as 16-year-old Ryan Wilson

RYAN GIGGS was a household name around the world by the time he hung up his boots earlier this month.

But he wasn't even a Giggs when a band of Port Vale die-hards got their first glimpse of the wing wizard on a cold January night back in 1990.

Ryan Wilson, as he was then known, was the star of a Manchester United junior team that took on the Valiants in the FA Youth Cup third-round tie.

The 16-year-old showed off his potential with two wonder goals in a 3-0 win, including a last minute solo effort that started in his own half reminiscent of one he would score in an FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal.

That was not enough to particularly impress The Sentinel's Vale reporter Chris Harper, who wrote: "Vale went out with hardly a whimper. Their achievement in a game of poor quality was to keep United at bay for the best part of an hour.

"... United rounded off a competent if hardly stunning performance in the last minute when Wilson raced clear on the left from inside his own half to net the goal of the game."

But the Vale players knew they had witnessed something special ... and knew it was coming.

Matt Beeby, who went on to become a key defender for Leek Town, was playing in midfield that night – although not, he insists, after making a demand to the manager upon seeing the team-sheet.

He said: "We had heard about this lad Ryan Wilson who was captain of England schoolboys at the time and playing in under-18s football even though he was only 16.

"We'd had a decent run, beating a Crewe team with Rob Jones and Steve Walters before seeing off Blackburn to set up a match against Man United.

"And I remember Giggs's two goals. I suppose I was lucky enough to play against him, and luckier not to be right-back. It might be the highlight of my career.

"He was on another level then to compete against boys who were two years older and stronger and shine – and he's done fairly well since."

It was Tony Bennett, from Telford, who drew the short straw to play right-back and was left stranded as Wilson broke the deadlock just before the hour mark, beating the offside trap and leaving keeper Saxton Brown for dead as he raced out to challenge.

United's Alan Tonge was sent off for a late tackle on Nick Bedson, but Lee Costa soon made it 2-0 from the penalty spot and Wilson rounded off the victory in style at the death.

Vale historian Phil Sherwin, who was standing in the 1,614 crowd, said: "I was working with a Man United fan at the time and he was forever telling me they had the new George Best in their youth team.

"We drew them in the youth cup, it attracted a decent crowd and Wilson really did live up to his reputation.

"He looked the part that night and you could tell he was going to be a star ... even if I wouldn't have guessed he'd play nearly a thousand times at the top level."

Man United went on to make the semi-finals, where they were knocked out by a Tottenham Hotspur side whose star player was keeper Ian Walker.

Ryan Wilson had taken his mother's maiden name to become Ryan Giggs by the time he made his senior debut 14 months later, against Everton at Old Trafford.

He announced his retirement from playing on March 19, having scored in 23 consecutive seasons in the top flight and picked up more than a few medals.

Ryan Kidd, a defender in that Vale youth side, went on to become a stalwart at Preston North End, where he starred alongside young loanee David Beckham in 1995.

Beckham had already made his first start for United at Vale Park in a controversial League Cup match in September 1994. Vale fans were up in arms when Alex Ferguson rested stars Eric Cantona, Mark Hughes and Peter Schmeichel to field a youthful side ... which turned out to be pretty handy.

Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Keith Gillespie joined Beckham, Roy Keane and Denis Irwin and a Scholes brace gave the visitors a 2-1 win after Bradley Sandeman had given Vale the lead.

"It was the first time a manager had used the League Cup to blood some youngsters and the crowd wasn't happy," said Sherwin.

"We wanted to see Cantona and Schmeichel. In the end the team he picked probably turned out to be even better."

A few Man United legends might have used Vale Park as a nursery, but that wasn't always the case.

Sherwin explained: "Bobby Charlton played his last league game at Vale Park, for Preston (in March 1975). He must have wanted to go out at the top. We won 2-1."

January 17, 1990. FA Youth Cup third round.

PORT VALE 0-3 MANCHESTER UNITED (Wilson, 58, 90; Costa, pen 65)

Port Vale: Brown, Bennett, Bedson, Myatt, Gillard, Kidd (Craig), Moore (Llewellyn), Johnston, Boswell, Mills, Beeby.

Manchester United: Pollitt, Tonge, McCauley, Sharples, Lydiate, Doherty, Costa, Sixsmith, McKee, Lawton, Wilson. Not used: Smythe, Taylor.

Referee: J T Boulton.

Attendance: 1,614.