Personal

If it happens that Ryan Giggs indeed wins the race for the succession at Old Trafford as the favourite-son nomination of Sir Alex Ferguson, no one need have much doubt about the day a nice idea became a compelling possibility.

It was in the first week of January this year when, at a most pivotal moment in the history of Manchester United, the 38-year-old Welshman stepped beyond the meaning of all those brilliant years out on the field.

Ryan Giggs has long been tipped to be a future Manchester United manager. Now, according to some reports, he’s been given Sir Alex Ferguson’s blessing to be the next one – ahead of Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola. But is a legendary playing career experience enough for him to become the new Fergie? CHRIS WATHAN looks at whether Giggs the gaffer is a realistic prospect

NO-ONE has ever doubted him as a player. After all, he is someone who has won pretty much everything there is to win.

Sir Alex Ferguson believes Ryan Giggs could one day succeed him as Manchester United manager.

The United boss has confided to friends that he considers the record-breaking Welsh winger to have a big enough personality - and the right presence at the club - to shoulder the responsibility of maintaining success at Old Trafford.

Following Ferguson will be a daunting task for whoever is chosen, but after serving under the 70-year-old Scot for 21 years, few have a better understanding of how his manager runs the club than Giggs.

Ryan Giggs starts the hunt for some missing silverware tomorrow night.

And he insisted: I want a Europa League medal in my trophy cabinet.

The veteran Welshman is in line to make his 900th Manchester United appearance at Ajax.

There is a sense of anti-climax about the tournament around Old Trafford, as Alex Ferguson's men had previously got to three Champions League finals in four years.

Yet Giggs, 38, has urged his team-mates to give Europe's second competition their best shot as they enter the last 32.

On the eve of his 900th Manchester United appearance, Ryan Giggs has revealed that a meeting with Sir Alex Ferguson dissuaded him from retiring at the end of last season following a stuttered start to the 2010/11 campaign.

The veteran, who hopes to become the first and only Red to join the nine-ton club against Ajax on Thursday, says a hamstring injury coupled with his advancing years meant he considered calling it a day last term, but admits the lure of pulling on the red shirt maintained his desire to continue.