Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs has explained the impact that Louis van Gaal had on his move into management after the end of his playing days.
The former winger, now in charge of Wales, spent 23 years playing under the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson before becoming assistant to David Moyes when he took the reins at Old Trafford.
That was followed by time working alongside Van Gaal at the club and, while his tactics were widely criticised, Giggs has praised him for shaping his career.
“Obviously I had different international managers, but that's only obviously a short space of time. That's why I talk about Louis (van Gaal), regarding my coaching, because I'm actually two years in the meetings, [taking] responsibility, and I talk so fondly of him because that was really my first coaching role. Whereas when you're playing, you don't know the preparation,” Giggs told The Official Manchester United Podcast.
“You don't know what the manager's seen on the videos. Players get seven or eight minutes of watching the opposition, but the coaching staff watch hours and hours.
“So that is completely different, it's completely different, even though you've worked under a manager for so long. It was more sort of the man-management and the different things that Sir Alex would do that I've picked up on.
"Whereas with Louis obviously I've seen first-hand different systems, why you play the different systems, the reasons for this and the reasons for that, It was a really good experience."
Giggs also added that it was his four-game stint as interim manager at United that made him decide to pursue a career in management.
“[It was an] Amazing experience, amazing, and one, really, that made my mind up that I wanted to become a manager. I would say up until then that I was still unsure.
"I just felt comfortable. I felt comfortable decision-making. I felt comfortable in that position. It was a brilliant experience. I was still doing my pro licence, but actually being in the job, having to make the decisions, all the pressure that you put yourself under, you can't prepare yourself for that.”
