For more than a decade Johnny Giles formed a central midfield partnership with Billy Bremner that was unsurpassed in club football. After winning the FA Cup with his first club Manchester United in 1963 the Irishman was famously sold to Leeds United by Sir Matt Busby, a decision which the legendary coach would later come to consider one of the worst of his career.
Giles, originally employed at outside right, missed only two games in his debut season for the Whites, with his goal at Swansea helping secure the clubs promotion to the top flight as Champions. The team then astonished everyone in 1964/65 by finishing runners-up in both the League and FA Cup. Early the following season skipper Bobby Collins suffered an horrific injury against Torino in the Fairs Cup, and Revie switched Giles into central midfield to commence his imperious partnership with Bremner.
Over the next decade Giles helped United win the First Division Championship and Fairs Cup twice, the FA Cup, League Cup and Charity Shield. He also played in three FA Cup finals, two European finals and was a runner-up in the League five times. Although the more creative force of the partnership, regarded as one of the finest passers of the ball to play for Ireland, Giles was also a ruthless tackler. 'I became as big an assassin as there was and as dangerous in my own way,' he said. 'You keep your head, you do it coldly, you do it clinically but you let everybody know in the game, that there are no liberties taken here. I was given the choice of becoming a lion or a lamb and I was determined not to become a lamb.'
Amongst his favourite playing memories were the real tough battles, such as the sixth round cup match against Spurs in 1972 when Leeds came from a goal down to win 2-1, or when beating Liverpool at Anfield in the semi-final of the UEFA Cup. 'Those were the things I went to sleep on,' he said, 'that was the turn-on. We played some of the best football I've ever seen in the world. Ever. But it was never mentioned. Give a dog a bad name. It bothers me in a certain way but not an awful lot because if I'm with the Leeds lads we know what we did.' As did the supporters, for whom Johnny Giles was one of the greatest footballers ever to represent the club.
