Ryan Giggs has said he is “enjoying” his role in David Moyes’s backroom team at Manchester United.
Red Devils legend Giggs, who turns 40 next month, told the Manchester Evening News: “Education is the next step in my career and I’m enjoying it. I am enjoying working with the new manager [David Moyes].”
We look at four contemporaries of Giggs, some who played with him and others against him, in the Premier League and where they are now:
Claude Makelele
The best holding midfielder of his generation, former Chelsea man Makelele now acts as assistant coach to Laurent Blanc at Paris Saint-Germain.
Makelele has played a role both on and off the field in PSG’s re-emergence as a footballing force. When he left Stamford Bridge, aged 35 in 2008, Makelele moved to the Parc des Princes and continued his playing career for another three seasons.
He captained PSG to French Cup glory in 2010, ending the Parisians’ four-year drought without a major trophy.
After hanging up his boots in 2011, Makelele joined Carlo Ancelotti’s coaching staff and was retained by Blanc when the Italian manager moved to Real Madrid this summer.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Norwegian super sub striker Solskjaer coached Manchester United’s reserves for three years following playing retirement after 11 years of Old Trafford service in 2007.
In 2011, Giggs’ former teammate struck out into management on his own with Molde in his native land.
Solskjaer has steered Molde to two successive Norwegian titles and taken them into Europe. When a Premier League vacancy comes up his name is often linked with a return to these shores.
Dennis Bergkamp
Arsenal’s artistic forward Bergkamp resisted the lure of coaching at first, but after a short spell out of the game that followed calling time on his on-field career in 2006 he was back.
Bergkamp returned to first club Ajax and worked his way through the ranks, rising to become old Netherlands teammate Frank de Boer’s assistant in 2010,
Recently linked with a return to the Gunners, the addition of Bergkamp to Arsene Wenger’s backroom staff would prove an extremely popular move with fans.
Nicky Butt
Combative midfield player Butt moved on to Newcastle United, Birmingham City and a stint at South China after playing alongside Giggs for a dozen years.
Butt came back to United last autumn, accepting the position of reserve team coach. Giggs is thus reunited with him.
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