
Young 'uns get unforgettable experience with Devils legend Giggs
Valuable pointers: Ryan Giggs coaching a young player during a special football clinic.
PETALING JAYA: It was a morning to remember for a group of young footballers at Do Arena, Lalaport, as Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs took to the pitch to share not just his skills, but his stories, values and wisdom.
The iconic Welshman spent time with budding talents from the KDH Academy, leading a special football clinic for boys and girls aged 10 to 12 at Lalaport in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
For the aspiring players, it was more than just a training session – it was a rare chance to learn from one of the greatest wingers the game has ever seen.
Amid drills, laughter, and high-fives, Giggs was in his element – encouraging, advising, and inspiring the next generation, both on and off the pitch.
'Manchester United have always had a history of young players rising through the ranks,' said Giggs.
'But you also need experienced senior players to guide them. At 17 or 18, the one thing young players often lack is consistency.'
Giggs, who rose to fame as a teenage prodigy under Sir Alex Ferguson, spoke candidly about the challenges young talents face today, especially in highly competitive environments.
'Sometimes you're in and out of the team. Winning builds confidence, but the Premier League demands top-level performance every week, every minute. If you drop off, you get punished. That's the reality.'
He also praised the development of young players in European competitions, noting their maturity and ability to rise to big occasions especially Barcelona's 17-year-old phenom Lamine Yamal.
'In Europe this season, they've been brilliant – showing maturity and consistency. The next step is to bring that same level to the domestic league, which is the harder part. It's about raising the quality every single day in training.
'That's what we had during my time – every session was tough, so matches became easier.'
The clinic was held in conjunction with the upcoming Maybank Challenge Cup 2025, and served as a fitting tribute to grassroots football – reminding everyone that the journey of a champion often begins with moments like these.
For the kids at Do Arena, a morning with Ryan Giggs wasn't just about football. It was a lesson in work ethic, resilience, and what it truly takes to reach the top.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Malay Mail
31 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
Liverpool shatter club transfer record to sign Germany midfielder Wirtz for £100m
LONDON, June 21 — Liverpool have signed Germany's Florian Wirtz from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, the Premier League champions said yesterday, as they smashed their transfer record to seal a deal for the attacking midfielder. Leverkusen will receive a guaranteed amount of £100 million (RM572.4 million) and a further maximum of £16 million in potential bonuses. That makes the 22-year-old Liverpool's most-expensive signing ever, ahead of Netherlands centre back and captain Virgil van Dijk who joined for £75 million in 2017. Wirtz, who signed a five-year contract, also becomes the fifth £100 million plus signing in Premier League history, joining Chelsea midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, Arsenal's Declan Rice and Manchester City winger Jack Grealish. 'I feel very happy and very proud. Finally it's done and I was waiting for a long time – finally it's done and I am really happy,' Wirtz said in a statement. 'I'm really excited to have a new adventure in front of me. This was also a big point of my thoughts: that I want to have something completely new, to go out of the Bundesliga and to join the Premier League.' With two years left on his Leverkusen contract, Wirtz was also heavily linked with a move to German champions Bayern Munich and Pep Guardiola's City, who were looking to replace Kevin De Bruyne after the Belgian playmaker's exit. Wirtz was instrumental at Leverkusen, leading them to an undefeated domestic league and Cup double in the 2023-24 season while they went two league seasons without an away defeat. The German bagged 57 goals and provided 65 assists in 197 appearances for Leverkusen, having joined the club from Cologne in 2020. He scored 16 goals, with 15 assists, in 45 matches last season as Leverkusen finished second to Bayern. Capped 31 times by his country since his debut in 2021, Wirtz is the only player to register 10 or more goals and assists in the last two Bundesliga seasons. Midfield options While his arrival will add to Liverpool manager Arne Slot's midfield options, alongside Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones, Wirtz's versatility means he can also play on the left wing or as a false nine. His signing is a statement of intent from Liverpool as they look to build on their success under Slot, the first Dutch manager to win the Premier League and the sixth coach to win the title in their first season. 'I would like to win everything every year! First of all, we have to do our work, I have to make my work,' Wirtz added. 'In the end, we want to be successful. Last season they won the Premier League so my goal is for sure to win it again and also to go further in the Champions League. I'm really ambitious.' He becomes Liverpool's second addition of the transfer window after they signed Dutch right back Jeremie Frimpong, also from Leverkusen. Bournemouth left back Milos Kerkez, 21, has also been linked with the Merseyside club. — Reuters


The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Brazilian flair trumps European complacency as Flamengo humble Chelsea
FLAMENGO delivered a potent reminder that the so-called superiority of European teams in club football is fading quickly after the Brazilian outfit beat Chelsea 3-1 in a Club World Cup contest that felt like a home match thousands of miles from Rio. The Brazilian champions turned Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field into a tropical carnival, with 55,000 passionate supporters creating an atmosphere that was in stark contrast to Chelsea's casual approach to the tournament. Just 24 hours after Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said the competition had 'a pre-season feeling' to it and that he would rotate key starters throughout the group stage, his side became the second European giants in two days to be humbled by Brazilian opposition. Friday's result followed Paris St Germain's shock 1-0 defeat by Botafogo a day earlier that had ended Europe's 13-year dominance over South American opposition in intercontinental club football. Pedro Neto's opener for Chelsea proved to be a false start as they were given the run around following the interval. Flamengo, under the tactical guidance of former Blues defender Filipe Luis, responded with a ruthlessness that their theoretically superior rivals could not match. Bruno Henrique and Danilo struck in quick succession to flip the contest, before Nicolas Jackson's reckless red card – for a studs-up challenge that illustrated Chelsea's loss of composure – paved the way for youngster Wallace Yan to deliver the coup de grace. 'When we conceded the first goal their fans started to be loud, and immediately after we conceded the second one,' Chelsea's Marc Cucurella told DAZN, his words revealing the psychological impact of Flamengo's thunderous support. Following Yan's goal, the supporters let out synchronised chants of 'olé' to hail their team's achievement. On Thursday, Botafogo put on a brilliant defensive performance to pull off the unexpected win over PSG, who had been in imperious form as they followed up their 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan in the Champions League final by routing Atletico Madrid 4-0 in their Club World Cup opener. Botafogo's solid discipline left PSG looking feeble and a shadow of the team that dominated European football throughout the season. 'Botafogo were the team that has defended best against us all season. They were efficient. The only thing left for me is to congratulate them,' PSG boss Luis Enrique told reporters. With Lionel Messi's Inter Miami also victorious against Porto, European clubs are in danger of returning home empty-handed from a tournament they had been odds on favourite to win.


The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Flamengo, Botafogo Stun Europe as South America Shines
FLAMENGO delivered a potent reminder that the so-called superiority of European teams in club football is fading quickly after the Brazilian outfit beat Chelsea 3-1 in a Club World Cup contest that felt like a home match thousands of miles from Rio. The Brazilian champions turned Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field into a tropical carnival, with 55,000 passionate supporters creating an atmosphere that was in stark contrast to Chelsea's casual approach to the tournament. Just 24 hours after Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said the competition had 'a pre-season feeling' to it and that he would rotate key starters throughout the group stage, his side became the second European giants in two days to be humbled by Brazilian opposition. Friday's result followed Paris St Germain's shock 1-0 defeat by Botafogo a day earlier that had ended Europe's 13-year dominance over South American opposition in intercontinental club football. Pedro Neto's opener for Chelsea proved to be a false start as they were given the run around following the interval. Flamengo, under the tactical guidance of former Blues defender Filipe Luis, responded with a ruthlessness that their theoretically superior rivals could not match. Bruno Henrique and Danilo struck in quick succession to flip the contest, before Nicolas Jackson's reckless red card – for a studs-up challenge that illustrated Chelsea's loss of composure – paved the way for youngster Wallace Yan to deliver the coup de grace. 'When we conceded the first goal their fans started to be loud, and immediately after we conceded the second one,' Chelsea's Marc Cucurella told DAZN, his words revealing the psychological impact of Flamengo's thunderous support. Following Yan's goal, the supporters let out synchronised chants of 'olé' to hail their team's achievement. On Thursday, Botafogo put on a brilliant defensive performance to pull off the unexpected win over PSG, who had been in imperious form as they followed up their 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan in the Champions League final by routing Atletico Madrid 4-0 in their Club World Cup opener. Botafogo's solid discipline left PSG looking feeble and a shadow of the team that dominated European football throughout the season. 'Botafogo were the team that has defended best against us all season. They were efficient. The only thing left for me is to congratulate them,' PSG boss Luis Enrique told reporters. With Lionel Messi's Inter Miami also victorious against Porto, European clubs are in danger of returning home empty-handed from a tournament they had been odds on favourite to win.