As Ole Gunnar Solskjaer prepares his Manchester United team to face Chelsea in the FA Cup tonight, another former Reds legend has been talking about his own ambitions to manage the club.
The current Wales manager Ryan Giggs has revealed in an interview with The Guardian that he was in line to be United's permanent manager when Louis van Gaal stepped down. Not that it worked out that way of course. Van Gaal didn't reach the end of his contract at Old Trafford and Giggs ended up replacing Chris Coleman as the Welsh national boss in 2018.
Giggs said that van Gaal told United's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward that his then assistant Giggs should take over when the Dutch boss finished his contract.
"No, it was more Louis (van Gaal) who said it' Giggs explained. "You know how Louis is. He told Ed Woodward (United's executive vice-chairman): "I will be manager for three years and then Ryan will take over."
"Typical Louis. No one else made me any promises. I didn't think I was ready when I finished playing but, after working with Louis, I felt more than prepared. I know it didn't work out for United but Louis was brilliant for me because he is a teacher."
Giggs was a member of the famed Class of 92 and won 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League trophies during his time at the club. Despite his own "near miss" he has backed Solskjaer to be made United's next permanent manager at the end of the season.
