GIGGS IS KIDDING
Wales boss backs his young stars
The Manchester United legend blazed a trail throughout a trophy- laden playing career after his debut at 17.
And he is taking a bold approach to management, too, in his first permanent job since a brief caretaker spell with United in 2014.
Kieffer Moore’s 80th- minute winner in Finland earned Giggs’ side a third win on the spin and made it seven games unbeaten on Thursday night in their opening match in the UEFA Nations League.
It is an impressive run and has been achieved amid the Wales boss blooding in a new generation of stars.
Record scorer Gareth Bale is 31 but the average age of Giggs’ latest squad is 24.5.
In the 1- 0 win in Helsinki he gave debuts to United’s Dylan Levitt, 19, Liverpool’s Neco Williams, 19, and Swansea’s Ben Cabango, 20.
Their first caps means that Giggs has now handed debuts to 18 players in his 20 matches in charge since replacing Chris Coleman in 2018.
Levitt started in midfield before Williams was introduced on the hour out wide and defender Cabango in stoppage time.
Giggs, 46, said: “It is not easy for Dylan against a big physical side but I thought he grew into the game really well.
“We know what he is capable of – his passing and composure are really good.
“Neco came on and his energy and quality shone through. I was pleased with those two.
“Ben got slightly less time but there were three debutants who are going to be big for Wales in the future.”
With the Euros delayed until next summer, the trio now have a chance to enhance their prospects further.
Giggs said: “In international football, a year is a long time. I want competition for places and my job to be difficult to pick the squad.”
Joe Morrell, the 23- year- old who won his sixth cap, said there are so many kids in Wales’ side that he does not even feel like one of the younger players.
The Bristol City midfielder said: “There was a lot of young players out there and I felt quite senior which was crazy.
“It just shows the quality young players we have got. That is fantastic and you have competition for places. It pushes us definitely.”
Wales’ squad for tomorrow’s Nations League clash against Bulgaria has been boosted by Bournemouth’s David Brooks joining up after recovering from an ankle injury.