Albert Stuivenberg: New Wales assistant manager happy to challenge Giggs

Albert Stuivenberg (L) played football until the age of 19 when a cruciate ligament injury forced him to retire

Wales assistant manager Albert Stuivenberg says he is not afraid to challenge Ryan Giggs in his role if he has a different opinion.

Stuivenberg and Giggs worked together under Louis van Gaal at Manchester United from 2014 and 2016.

When asked if he would stand up to Giggs, the Dutchman said: "Of course, that's why Ryan wants to work with me.

"We also know we can trust each other and it's the way we want to work with each other."

The Rotterdam-born coach, 47, added: "He knows what he wants, what he is good at and what I am good at, and together I think we can be very supportive to the total backroom staff to be successful.

"I think with my 26 years' experience as a coach, I can support him in any way I can."

Stuivenberg added that he was "excited" to have the opportunity to work with Gareth Bale, but insisted he is looked forward to "getting to know all the players".

"At the end we are all just human," he said.

"In football it's about all feeling good and working together in the best way possible, and if you do that you can be successful together.

"I'm looking forward to working with a lot of young players which I have seen already coming into the squad."

National anthem part of my job

Stuivenberg said he had been trying to learn the Welsh national anthem ahead of the China Cup.

"It's still very difficult," he said. "On the way to China we've got time enough on the plane.

"It is my ambition to do so. I've found video and asked how to pronounce the words in the right way."

Despite being the former Netherlands Under-21s coach and being Dutch, Stuivenberg said he believes learning the Welsh national anthem is part of his job.

"I'm not Welsh, I am Dutch - some things you can never change - but I'm working for Wales football and part of that is to learn the national anthem," said Stuivenberg.