Manchester United have appointed Ryan Giggs as player-coach with immediate effect.
The 39 year old winger, who penned a one-year extension to his playing contract in March, becomes the newest addition to David Moyes’ coaching staff.
“It’s a great privilege to be appointed a player-coach,” he said. “I hope I will be able to bring my experience to bear, having been both a player and part of the Manchester United family for so long.
“It’s no secret that I have been taking my qualifications and I see this as the first step in my future career. I’m really looking forward to working alongside David and the team.”
Moyes appeared equally pleased with the hiring. “I’m delighted that Ryan has accepted the chance to become player coach. His success and ability to adapt his game over a number of years gives him an unrivalled perspective on the modern game. His career is an example to any aspiring young player and I’m sure that both he and the players will benefit from his new role.”
United’s hiring of Giggs should come as no surprise.
After his appointment in May, Moyes dismissed Sir Alex Ferguson’s staff in favor of bringing in Everton counter-parts Steve Round, Chris Woods and Jimmy Lumsden, triggering worry in Manchester over the lack of United experience in Moyes’ backroom team. But by hiring Giggs, those fears will abate as the club legend is about as United as one can be, having made well over 900 appearances since his debut in 1991.
Having spent years taking his coaching badges, Giggs is poised to attain his UEFA Pro Licence next summer and many foresee him as the eventual successor to Moyes’ reign, however long that may last. They are dots that are impossible not to see connecting, although exactly when that link-up comes together, only time will tell.
While the hiring is a shrewd move, one has to wonder whether the trigger was pulled by Moyes or Ferguson. More likely than not, it was the later, installing yet another piece to ensure that his legacy outlasts his managerial tenure. Giggs joins Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt, who have already been named to the United coaching staff, with Phil Neville expected to be named first-team coach within the next day or so.
The situation could result in too many cooks in Moyes’ kitchen and the worry is that if the squad runs into performance issues early in the season, a fractured backroom could result. Fortunately when it comes to matters of diplomacy, Moyes is a master politician and having the congenial Giggs by his side should prove a welcome aid.
