Giggs should be backed for best player accolade

Many great footballers have graced the top-flight over the years and Willie Duncan looks at who might be named as the Premier League's best ever player at next month's awards.The English Premier League celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and, to mark the occasion, the Premier League has launched the 20 Season Awards – a series of awards designed to celebrate the best that the competition has had to offer since it began in 1992.One such honour is, of course, the award for the best player to have played in the Premier League. Over the years, the Premier League has been graced with some of the world’s best footballers and a shortlist of 10 names has been drawn up to assist a panel of journalists, commentators and leading football figures select a deserving winner.Bookmaker Paddy Power has opened a market on who will pick up the award at a special ceremony being held on May 15th. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the market is led by a current Premier League player and the only man who has played – and scored – in all 20 Premier League seasons so far. Ryan Giggs of Manchester United is, of course, that man and the Irish bookmaker makes Giggs a warm favourite at 1/2 (1.50) to pick up the accolade.Next in the betting is Thierry Henry. The Frenchman enjoyed eight glorious seasons at Arsenal between 1999 and 2007 and made a brief return on loan to play a cameo role for the club this term before returning to New York Red Bulls. Henry scored an incredible 176 goals in 258 Premier League appearances for the Gunners and would be a hugely popular winner at 4/1 (5.0) with Paddy Power.The fact that Eric Cantona makes the shortlist and is next in the betting at 7/1 (8.0) with Paddy Power despite playing just five seasons in the top division with Leeds United and Manchester United speaks volumes for the impact that the enigmatic Frenchman made on the Premier League while Paul Scholes, a former team-mate of Cantona and another still plying his trade in the top flight, is 8/1 (9.0) with the same firm to be named as the Premier League’s best player.Although Giggs is a short priced favourite at 1/2 (1.50), his incredible longevity means that he, perhaps more than anyone, epitomises the Premier League and he should be backed to add this illustrious award to his many titles.