The Wales manager on parallels between his squad and Manchester United’s Class of 92, rising expectations and Roy Keane
Ryan Giggs is discussing how a wave of talent has revitalised Wales, eroding the reliance on Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey, when he draws a comparison to the arrival of a chirpy and tenacious Brazilian teenager at
Manchester United. “I played against Gary Neville for so long in training, then all of a sudden Rafael da Silva comes in and he gives you a new lease of life,” he says. “I’m up against someone who wants to smash into me, wants to run off me, wants to make it as difficult as possible for me and I have to up my game. That is the competitive nature I want in training and in the camp.”
Giggs believes the emergence of such a vibrant group, coupled with the progress of players such as Daniel James and David Brooks in the
Premier League, has helped Bale and Ramsey to thrive for Wales.