Class of ’92 to reform as Giggs accepts lifetime achievement award

By Peter O’ Dwyer

Interim player-manager and club legend Ryan Giggs was last night presented with a lifetime achievement award at the Manchester United awards ceremony.

The 40-year-old Welshman was honoured for his 26 year service to the club to date having joined the club in 1987 as a youth team player from rivals Manchester City.

Members of the clubs famous Class of ’92 youth team, some of whom have returned to the club as coaches under Giggs, paid tribute to their friend and former teammate in a special video message.

Stars of world football past and present also sent their best wishes, including Eric Cantona; UEFA President Michel Platini and Pele.

Current Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo congratulated his former teammate in a separate message too.

It has also been announced that Giggs and other members of the cub’s famous youth team of 1992 will take on Salford City in a friendly in August.

The United stars, who collectively own Salford, will lineout together against the Evo-Stik North side with David Beckham also rumoured to be involved despite not being part of the group that owns the club.

In a statement issued on their behalf the stars of ’92 said: “We are really looking forward to the match, it will certainly be competitive. It will good to play with each other again, it's been a long time but more importantly we will want to give Salford City a tough game.

“We are going to ask some familiar faces to play with us and we will be sure it will be an entertaining game for the fans of Salford.”

CO92 will play against Salford City on August 7th!! Get fit Gary! Haha

— Gary Neville (@GNev2) May 9, 2014

Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville took to Twitter to confirm his involvement which will see him play alongside his brother Phil for the first time since the younger Neville brother moved to Everton in 2005.