Giggs geared up for Goodison

Ryan Giggs admits it’s been “a long summer” but insists the Reds have put last season’s title heartbreak behind them and are fully focused on ensuring there is no repeat this term.

Sir Alex’s men kick off the 2012/13 campaign against Everton at Goodison Park on Monday night. Giggs says it’s a testing fixture to start the season with and insists plenty of energy and effort will be needed to ensure the Reds come away with a positive result.

“Being away in your first game is always tough so we’ll have to be up for it," he told ManUtd.com. "We've had a decent record there over the years - they’re always good games which can be pretty quick and quite feisty which adds to the atmosphere.

“David Moyes’ teams always work hard and you know you’re in for a battle and that you’ll have to work harder than them to win. We can talk about the quality players we’ve got in our squad but ultimately you need to work hard and make sure you start the season off well.

“It’s certainly a good test to begin with and everyone is looking forward to it,” adds Ryan.

“The manager likes to lay down his ambitions for the season and look in the players’ eyes to see if they’re ready for the challenge and we are. It was a long summer and we can’t wait to get going and put things right this time.”