LONDON: Manchester United have confirmed that Ryan Giggs is to take up a player-coaching role next season.

It was already established Phil Neville is to become a member of Moyes’ backroom team but now Giggs will work alongside his former team-mate, having already agreed a one-year contract extension last term.

“It’s a great privilege to be appointed a player coach. I hope I will be able to bring my experience to bear, having been both a player and part of the Manchester United family for so long,” said Giggs who will be 40 in November.

“It’s no secret I’ve been taking my qualification. I see this as the first step in my future career.”

Changeover

Moyes, who was announced as Sir Alex Ferguson’s successor in May, will conduct his first news conference as manager of United tomorrow. Neville, 36, will become the new first-team coach after the departure of Rene Meulensteen.

Midfielder Giggs signed a new one-year contract with United in March which will run until June 2014 when he completes his 23rd season with the club.

The former Wales skipper, who also captained Great Britain at last summer’s London Olympics, made his United debut on 2 March 1991 and has since won 13 league titles, four FA Cups, four League Cups and two Champions League titles.

Moyes said: “His success and ability to adapt his game over a number of years gives him an unrivalled perspective on the modern game. His career is an example to any aspiring young player and I’m sure that both he and the players will benefit from his new role.”

New arrivals

He joins the new coaching set-up which is largely comprised of people who worked under Moyes at Everton – with assistant manager Steve Round, coach Jimmy Lumsden and goalkeeping coach Chris Woods added to the Old Trafford staff earlier in the week.

As a teenager Neville was also a promising cricketer and in 1992, aged 15, played for Lancashire’s second XI against a Middlesex side including future England Test players Aftab Habib and Richard Johnson.

Neville came through the ranks at United, played under Moyes at Goodison Park and left the club at the same time as the Scot. He worked with the England Under-21 team in Israel last month.

A full-back or midfielder, who earned 59 England caps during his playing career, Neville made his Premier League debut for United in 1995 in a 3-0 win over Manchester City.

He won six Premier League titles, three FA Cups and one Champions League crown at Old Trafford before joining Everton.

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