Ryan Giggs has shared remarkable details about his initial encounter with a Manchester United manager he described as “mad.” The legendary winger, who transitioned into a coaching role after retiring as a player in 2014 following 24 years at Old Trafford, had experienced the intense methods of Sir Alex Ferguson. However, his introduction to one of Fergie`s successors proved to be far more physically surprising.
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Following Ferguson`s retirement in 2013 and David Moyes` relatively short nine-month tenure, United saw several managerial changes, including interim periods by Giggs himself, Michael Carrick, Ralf Rangnick, and Ruud van Nistelrooy.
When Louis van Gaal arrived eleven years ago, he was seen as a stable and experienced choice, having managed prominent clubs like Barcelona and Bayern Munich, as well as the Netherlands national team twice.
Giggs recounted his extraordinary first meeting with Van Gaal when he flew to Holland to see the new Old Trafford chief. Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, the former Wales boss stated: “We met him in a hotel room. Louis was mad. He was mad.”
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Giggs continued, detailing the bizarre physical interaction: “So… he’s opened the door, I’m with Ed Woodward [then United executive vice-chairman], and Louis looked at me and punched me right in the stomach.” Van Gaal followed up by saying, “You are in good shape,” accompanied by “a little dig.” Giggs recalled his internal reaction, thinking, “What is he doing?”
Immediately after this unusual physical test, Van Gaal challenged Giggs on his football knowledge by asking him to evaluate the current squad. Giggs explained that Van Gaal had a list of names and asked him to determine “who stays and who goes.”
Giggs went through the list, indicating players to keep. He noted that his assessment was remarkably close to Van Gaal`s own views. “I`ve just gone tick, tick… I think we were one out,” Giggs said. This alignment prompted Van Gaal to respond, “Yeah, I agree with that. Same thinking, same thinking.”
This shared perspective during their initial meeting led to Giggs being offered and accepting the assistant manager`s role at Old Trafford. He served in this capacity alongside Van Gaal until the Dutchman`s departure in 2016. Giggs highlighted that Van Gaal was “really good with me” and that he “learned a lot” during their time working together.
Despite feeling that this experience prepared him for the top job, Jose Mourinho was appointed manager when Van Gaal was sacked. Since Ferguson`s era, no manager has managed to replicate his sustained success, which included winning the Premier League an impressive 13 times with Giggs as a key player.
Credit: Mark Robinson – The Sun
