Eli Manning never wanted to don another uniform or throw a pass for anyone other than the Giants.

He gets his wish.

Manning will announce his retirement on Friday, starting the clock on a five-year wait and debate as to his Pro Football Hall of Fame worthiness. There is no debate among anyone associated with the Giants, as he delivered two Lombardi Trophies as a two-time Super Bowl MVP and countless hours and days and months of ultimate professionalism during a career that spanned 16 years, the longest ever for a Giants player.

Manning, 39, will bid adieu at the Giants facility, where he spent so much time working tirelessly to keep his body and mind in shape for the rigors of his job. He leaves as the finest and most prolific quarterback in franchise history, even though the past several years were tough times for Manning and the Giants. Amid an avalanche of losing, the Giants found Manning’s successor, Daniel Jones, with the No. 6 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and, although Manning began this past season as the starter, it was only a matter of time before he was supplanted.

After two games, both losses, the change was made by then-head coach Pat Shurmur. Manning became a backup and stayed in the shadows until Jones went down with a high ankle sprain. Manning returned, lost to the Eagles, and then on Dec. 15 had his farewell moment, walking off the MetLife Stadium field after a 36-20 victory over the Dolphins, hugging his wife and children before exiting through the tunnel.

“For 16 seasons, Eli Manning defined what it is to be a New York Giant both on and off the field,” co-owner John Mara said. “He represented our franchise as a consummate professional with dignity and accountability. It meant something to Eli to be the Giants quarterback, and it meant even more to us. We are beyond grateful for his contributions to our organization and look forward to celebrating his induction into the Giants Ring of Honor in the near future.”

Manning was a great aid to Jones but admitted how much he did not enjoy serving in a backup role. He has no interest in coaching — although he is a timer for his oldest daughter Ava’s swim team and is an assistant with her youth basketball team. There probably was little or no market for Manning elsewhere in the NFL and he never had any desire to wear anything other than Giants’ blue. He made a record $252 million in his career.

The Giants went 12-36 the past three seasons and as a result Manning finished up with a regular-season record of 117-117. He is revered among his former teammates, as much for his practical jokes and low-key sarcasm and for never, ever, publicly calling any of them out for mistakes they made.

There are forever moments Giants fans will never forget. Manning outdueling Brett Favre in the bone-chilling cold of Lambeau Field in the 2007 NFC Championship. Manning-to-David Tyree, the most astonishing play in Super Bowl history, to trigger an upset of the 18-0 Patriots in Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, Ariz. Manning, taking a physical beating at the hands of the 49ers in the 2011 NFC title game but prevailing. Manning-to-Mario Manningham in Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis, once again directing a fourth-quarter comeback to slay Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the Patriots.

“It was an honor and privilege to coach Eli, and to go through the wonderful and magnificent moments that he and his teammates provided for all of us,’’ said Tom Coughlin, the Giants head coach for both of the most recent Super Bowl triumphs.

“He’s an incredible big-game performer. You talk about a guy that’s great to coach, focused every day, took tremendous pride in preparing, practice, had a great sense of humor, was a cynic in the locker room. But the guys loved him and they loved him for it, and they played for him.

“Here goes the retirement of a great, great football Giant. He’s always been there to make the call, to stand up and represent the Giants in the best possible way.”

Manning was not drafted by the Giants; general manager Ernie Accorsi pulled off a mega-trade during the 2004 NFL Draft to obtain him from the Chargers. Manning ended up starting 210 consecutive games; he never missed a game because of injury. He is one of only 12 quarterbacks to win at least two Super Bowls. Off the field, Manning was involved in numerous charities, visiting sick children in hospitals countless times. In 2016, he was the co-recipient (with Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald) of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.

Manning owns every meaningful Giants passing record. He was at his best in the postseason, going 8-4 and playing nearly flawless football during the Super Bowl runs after the 2007 and 2011 seasons.

Co-owner Steve Tisch said he is “proud’’ to have called Manning the Giants quarterback, calling his contributions a “timeless legacy and declaring “He will always be a Giant among Giants.”

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