Wales job a big test for Ryan Giggs, says Steve McClaren

January 15, 2018
Posted by Steven Tan | Source from Sky Sports
Ryan Giggs' years of success at Manchester United will help him deal with the pressures of the Wales job, according to Steve McClaren but the former England boss says the role will be a "big test".
 
Giggs will be officially announced as Wales manager on a four-year deal at a press conference at 2pm on Monday.
 
Giggs' only previous spell as a manager came when he took over at Manchester United - the club where he spent his entire 24-year playing career - for the final four games of the 2013-14 season following David Moyes' sacking.
 
Giggs was assistant to Louis van Gaal at United for the following two campaigns and McClaren thinks it is important that the former winger brings in his own experienced backroom staff at Wales.
 
"Sir Alex brought players to Manchester United who were intelligent, good characters and all of them have the potential to be managers," McClaren said.
 
"Ryan Giggs was always intelligent, always inquisitive, not a shouter but someone who would be well-respected.
 
"He has had a great education at Manchester United in terms of being at the top.
 
"He has been in the chair, he has managed as interim but being the man at international football will be very different for him.
 
"The most important thing for Ryan Giggs will be who he surrounds himself with to help him on this journey."
 
Chris Coleman led Wales to the semi-finals of Euro 2016 but left to take charge of Sunderland after failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
 
The role is Giggs' first permanent manager's job and McClaren believes he would have benefited from coming through the youth set-up at Wales first.
 
"The best way in would have been if the Welsh FA had identified Ryan Giggs as the next Welsh manager, got him in at the youth level to give him the experience [like] the English FA did with Gareth Southgate.
 
"That is my only reservation, that he has not had that experience of international football.
 
"It is going to be a big test for him."
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