Giggs will collect his ninth Premier League winners' medal after tomorrow's Old Trafford encounter with West Ham before setting his sights on becoming only the fourth player in history to win the FA Cup five times in next weekend's showdown with Chelsea.

With Gary Neville almost certainly missing out, Giggs will have the honour of leading United out at Wembley. And should the Red Devils emerge triumphant, he will join Phil Neal as the most decorated player in English football of all-time with 17 major honours.

And, if Ferguson is correct, the chances are Giggs will eventually claim the record for himself, as well as reaching Sir Bobby Charlton's club-best 759 United appearances.

"Ryan can play for the next two years without question," said Ferguson.

"He has the right physique and has looked after himself, so I have no issues with any of these things.

"Quite remarkably he has retained most of his pace. Okay, he may not be absolutely greased lightening as he was as a 17-year-old but he is still quick enough and retains the great ability to beat men in tight situations."

That ability, coupled with the emergence of Cristiano Ronaldo, has allowed Giggs to spend more time causing havoc in central positions, meaning the loss of free-scoring Ruud van Nistelrooy to Real Madrid last summer had no impact on United's finishing power at all.

And, at 33, Ferguson feels Giggs will be of more use to him in future by pushing inside more often.

"It suits Ryan to be in a far more protected position," said Ferguson.

"For 15 years he has been tramping up and down that touchline. There is no player in the Premiership who has done that. They have all either died, been shoved aside or folded. But he has been amazing in terms of having the capacity to keep wanting to do it."

Ferguson also appears quite happy to let Giggs combine his United duties with his international commitments to Wales.

At times, Giggs' desire to play for his country has been questioned.

However, first under Mark Hughes and now John Toshack, who has appointed the Cardiff-born star as his captain, Giggs appears to have found a happy medium.

"John Toshack has been very accomodating and helpful in understanding Ryan's situation and age," said Ferguson.

"There is good harmony between John and Ryan. When Ryan has needed a rest he has got one.

"I have not discussed it at all with Ryan. As long as he is happy with the situation, I am happy to go along with it."

It is amazing to think that Giggs was overlooked for United's last cup final appearance in favour of Darren Fletcher.

The long-serving winger, who has made 714 appearances for the club, has no such fears for his place this time around.

Indeed, with Neville and Louis Saha almost certain to miss out, Ferguson's only real selection dilemmas concern the right-back role, where Wes Brown is favoured to edge out John O'Shea, and in attack, where the Scot's options include naming Alan Smith as an orthodox striker or pushing Wayne Rooney further forward, a move that would allow Fletcher to bolster United's midfield.

Either way, Ferguson is hoping England's top two can produce a final to remember.

"I am sure it will be competitive," said the United boss.

"Both sides will be ready for a battle. But I also hope the final represents England in the right way.

"We have been talking about the improvement in the English game, about three teams getting to the semi-final of the Champions League and how the Premiership is probably the best league in Europe.

"It is an opportunity to make people say these are the right two teams to play at the first game at Wembley. That is the way we should both be thinking."