'After Louis, I felt that I was definitely ready': Giggs reflects on coaching journey at Manchester United
Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs has shared a story about his first encounter with Louis van Gaal, as the pair discussed the club's future following the Dutchman’s appointment as manager in 2014.
After stepping in as interim boss at the end of the 2013/14 season, Giggs was retained as Van Gaal’s assistant.
"I flew out to Holland to meet Louis. So we met him in a hotel room Louis was mad. He was mad.
"So I’ve opened the - he’s opened the door, I’m with Ed Woodward, and Louis looked at me and punched me right in the stomach. He’s gone, “You are in good shape,” and just punching - a little dig.
"I’m thinking, ‘what is he doing?’ And he said, ‘I have a list of names. I want you to tell me who stays and who goes.’ So anyway, we went through the squad.
"Louis was really good for me because he was, like, a different way of how I’d worked before. Obviously different than Sir Alex. It’s different than David Moyes. And he was very much a teacher.
"Very much, you know, obviously Dutch thinking, everything is logical. But I learned a lot, and I’ve taken a lot into the way that I managed from Louis. And he was really good with me.
"Just the way that he worked, really. The way that - his leadership. He was very much like Sir Alex in the fact that he delegated. So he trusted people around him in the different positions, which I liked. I think recognising a United player - Louis perhaps didn’t get that with certain players, who were good players," Giggs has shared.
Reflecting on his journey, Giggs admitted he was not ready to take the manager's job after his four-game interim spell, but by the end of Van Gaal’s tenure, he felt fully prepared.
"After Louis, I felt that I was definitely ready. Obviously Jose came in, and I left," Giggs stated.
