Tag: Ryan Giggs

Bale not leaving Real Madrid for Man Utd, says Giggs

The attacker has struggled with injury in recent years, but the Wales manager insists he still has a lot to offer the European champions

Ryan Giggs believes a move to Manchester United would be a good option for Gareth Bale, but the Wales manager insists the attacker has no desire to leave Real Madrid.

The 28-year-old winger has been heavily linked to Old Trafford in recent years, and his trouble with injuries in recent seasons has enhanced talk of him leaving the Santiago Bernabeu.

Ex-United and Wales star Giggs, however, insists Bale still has a lot to offer the Champions League holders, as well as his national team, and expects him to stay put for the time being.

“Bale is a great player, one of the best, and for us, as has been demonstrated in recent months, he is fundamental,” he told Marca.

“It’s clear that the team comes first, but in that team we need the best players and Bale is the best.

“Gareth is a player who unbalances opponents. When he has been able to demonstrate his quality at Real Madrid, he has shown that his style of football is fundamental to winning games.

“He’s happy at Real Madrid, he wants to stay, there’s no doubt. He knows that the coach and the club respect him, and he wants to show the fans what he is capable of.

“I don’t know [if United want to sign him], but Bale has no intention of leaving and Real Madrid won’t sell the player. It’s clear that United would’ve been very good for him, but I don’t think that’s an option at the moment, he’s not going to leave Real Madrid.”

Since his then-world-record move from Tottenham in 2013, Bale has won the league once, the Champions League three times and two Club World Cups at Madrid.

And, although Giggs feels he may be below the level of team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona star Lionel Messi, he sees him as potentially one of the best players around.

“Gareth works hard to be the best. I think that today Messi and Ronaldo are above the rest, as they have been demonstrating for the last 10 years.

“I think he has no limits because he’s at a great club and, if he can play regularly, he can reach the top.”

[Source: www.goal.com]

Ryan Giggs: New Wales boss interview

New Wales boss Ryan Giggs says he has been unfairly criticised by fans, and a desire to reach a major tournament with the country “burns” inside him.

Giggs, 44, played 64 times for Wales between 1991 and 2007 but, despite a trophy-laden club career, did not appear at a major international finals.

He was criticised for regularly pulling out of squads, and especially for missing friendly matches.

“I think it is a bit unfair, but football is about opinions,” he said.

A Manchester United legend, Giggs is one of the most decorated footballers in history – winning 13 Premier League and two Champions League titles in 963 appearances for the Red Devils.

He has signed a four-year contract to succeed Chris Coleman, but is yet to decide on his backroom staff.

His first game in charge will be against China in Nanning on March 22.

‘I’ll give my all for Wales – as I did when I played’

Giggs, a former Wales captain, did not play in an international friendly between 1991 and 2000, leading some to question his commitment to the team.

He told BBC Sport Wales: “I played more than 1,000 games and I didn’t get there without managing myself.

“Early on in my career I had problems with my hamstrings and missed loads of United games, but the criticism I’m getting is something I just have to deal with by winning games.”

Giggs knows a key part of the job will be to form “good relationships” with clubs, and realises he will need to be flexible with them and his players.

“It’s about managing what is best for the player and also for the country,” he said.

“When you’ve got Champions League quarter-finals and you are asking the players to travel all around the world, it’s about striking that balance.

“I want all the players to report for every game. That is impossible for whatever reason, so you pick a squad, some pull out and that gives others a chance.”

Giggs is hopeful hard work and positive results will be enough to win over fans dubious about his appointment.

“Some will support you, some won’t,” he said. “The only way to change their mind is to give it your all, which I intend to do.

“I intend to be successful, I intend to win games, and that’s all I can do. Everything else is out of my hands.

“The people who have got an opinion of me not giving my all, I can promise you that I did when I played for Wales and I’ll continue to do that as Welsh manager.”

Ryan Giggs: Manchester United legend named Wales manager

Ryan Giggs has been appointed Wales manager on a four-year contract.

The 44-year-old former Manchester United winger succeeds Chris Coleman, who left for Sunderland in November.

Coleman’s assistant Osian Roberts, former Wales striker Craig Bellamy and Mark Bowen were also interviewed.

Giggs had long been a target for the Football Association of Wales (FAW) and was the favourite for the role once Coleman departed after Wales failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.