Ryan Giggs confirms interest in vacant Wales manager role

Ryan Giggs was Manchester United interim manager for four games in 2014

Ryan Giggs has declared a firm interest in becoming the next Wales manager.

The Football Association of Wales (FAW) hopes to have a successor to Chris Coleman in place in time for the draw for the Nations League on 24 January.

Former Manchester United and Wales winger Giggs joins ex-international team-mates John Hartson and Craig Bellamy, and Coleman's assistant Osian Roberts in putting his name forward.

"Of course I'm interested," 44-year-old Giggs told Sky Sports.

"I've not spoken to anyone at the moment but I'd definitely be interested.

"I've played for Wales and I've said that I want to go back into coaching. Obviously that is one of the top jobs. I played for United; I played for Wales."

Giggs' management experience has been limited to four games in interim charge of United in 2014, before spending two years as Louis van Gaal's assistant at Old Trafford.

Since ending a 29-year association with the Premier League club in July 2016, Giggs - who scored 12 times in 64 Wales appearances between 1991 and 2007 - has declared his interest in a number of managerial posts.

Most recently he was linked with Leicester and Everton, while he was interviewed for the manager's job at Swansea City last season.

Former Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion boss Tony Pulis has also been linked strongly with taking charge of Wales, with the FAW earlier this week ruling out the idea of an Englishman being appointed.

"We have always favoured Welsh people because arguably the passion is there," FAW chief executive Jonathan Ford had told BBC Sport Wales.

"Somebody said this earlier - Welsh most definitely, foreign possibly, but definitely not English."