Giggs: I’m focussed on trophies, not coaching

MANCHESTER UNITED’S most decorated player, Ryan Giggs, insists his focus remains on doing a job on the pitch and not coaching.

Manager Alex Ferguson has indicated there could be a role in his backroom staff for the former Wales captain when he hangs up his boots.

While Giggs is taking his UEFA ‘A’ coaching licence in June, winning more medals at Old Trafford is his main goal.

The 34-year-old has made 746 appearances for the club, only 13 short of Sir Bobby Charlton’s record 759.

Giggs, who has missed the last four games with a calf strain, said: “I am just concentrating on playing at the moment.

“I have done my C and B coaching licences and enjoyed it. So we will see how it goes in the summer.

Giggs made his debut 17 years ago this month and has won 18 major trophies in a glorious career, not to mention captaining Wales.

Meanwhile Ferguson and assistant Carlos Queiroz have been asked by the Football Association to explain their comments following United’s FA Cup exit at the hands of Portsmouth last weekend.

An irate Ferguson claimed referee Martin Atkinson’s display was “unacceptable” and also accused referees’ chief Keith Hackett of “not doing his job properly” in the wake of Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford.

Ferguson and Queiroz, who also criticised Atkinson, were unhappy United were not given a first-half penalty for a challenge on Cristiano Ronaldo.

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp today refuted any suggestion of refereeing bias in his side’s Old Trafford victory.

He said: “The referee was not on our side, that’s for sure. He didn’t have to be because there wasn’t a bad tackle in the game.

Meanwhile Carlos Quierós is in pole position to take over as coach at Benfica following the resignation of José Antonio Camacho on Sunday.

Reports in Portugal say that Alex Ferguson’s assistant is one of a shortlist of five, which includes José Peseiro, currently at Panathinaikos, who was assistant to Quierós at Real Madrid. But the Manchester United man is apparently the top choice of Benfica president Luís Filipe Vieira.

Benfica first tried to entice Quierós from Old Trafford in 2006, before appointing Fernando Santos, who was sacked after the first match of this season and replaced by Camacho.

And while they are the richest club in Portugal in terms of income — ranked 20th in Europe in 2006 — their expenditure budget for the team of about €25 million compared to Porto’s €70m means they are struggling to compete.