John Ruddy: I won't let you beat me at the near post again, Giggsy

John Ruddy will be glued to his near post if Ryan Giggs takes a free-kick out wide ­tomorrow.

For the Welshman made the keeper look like a Ruddy fool seven years ago when the Norwich star was having a trial at Manchester United.

A United fan as a kid, Ruddy, 25, was then at Cambridge and desperate to impress Sir Alex Ferguson.

When he featured for United’s reserves, he even played the last 35 minutes of the match despite badly injuring his right shoulder.

Ruddy said: “My dad liked them and it follows that you support the same team as your dad.

“It helped that they were winning as well! My heroes were Giggs and Peter Schmeichel.

“It was just before Christmas 2004. I was in the first team at Cambridge and the manager called me into his office to say I was going on trial at United.

“I went for three days and it was an unbelievable experience and such a big learning curve.

“I was training with players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Giggs, Paul Scholes and Ruud van Nistelrooy.

“With all of these players standing in front of you, you’re trying not to be in awe of them, but you just can’t help it.

“Supporting them since I was a little kid and then having the chance to train with them was unbelievable.

“Yes, there was a temptation to ask for some autographs, but I think I was too scared.

“The moment that sticks in my mind was when we were doing a small-sided game and Giggs had a free-kick out wide and I thought he was going to cross it.

“But he stuck it in at my near post. He gave me an apologetic look which said, ‘Sorry, it’s a learning curve’.

“On Sunday if he takes a free-kick from a similar position you will see me stuck to the near post thinking, ‘I remember that’. I doubt if he does, though.”