Ryan Giggs claims last Manchester United playing season was a 'difficult period'

"[Sir Alex] was the only manager I’d ever known for Man United, that was strange, and for me personally going into a different role as player/coach, that was different as well, and things not going so well.

“We've gone three years without winning the Premier League a couple of times, that was nothing new, but obviously what was different was Sir Alex wasn't there, so the intensity and the spotlight and the pressure was probably even more.”

Giggs would eventually become caretaker manager of the club he loves following the sacking of Ferguson's successor, David Moyes.

Moyes' reign came to an end in April - nine months into a six-year contract - and Giggs led United for their final four matches of the season, winning his first match as manager 4-0 against Norwich.

And on the moment when he walked out of the tunnel, suited and booted, for the first time, Giggs says: “That was the proudest moment - walking out on to the pitch and the fans and the crowd giving me a great reception.

“Growing up as a child supporting United, and then obviously being lucky enough to play for so many years - I never actually thought I would be in charge of the team.

“It was a challenge, it was totally out of my comfort zone, but one that I enjoyed. I put myself under a lot of pressure because I wanted to win four games out of four.

“Unfortunately we didn't but I loved every minute of it and the players reacted really well and the fans reacted really well. In that respect it couldn't have gone any better."

Since then, he has hung up his playing boots permanently and moved into a No.2 role, supporting Louis van Gaal.

“It’s like an apprenticeship, it’s like starting out as a footballer - you’ve got to learn your trade and that’s what I’m doing,” he said.

And Giggs says he is confident that van Gaal can lead United back to the top of the English game - while he himself hasn't ruled out the possibility of managing elsewhere.

“Obviously the results haven’t been brilliant but we’re getting there,” he said.

“It was a big win for us at the weekend against a very good Arsenal team so we've just got to build on that and try and get some consistency.

“You never say never with anything in life and especially in football but at the moment I’m just concentrating on the short-term future and that’s at United.”

However, as much as the 40-year-old believes it was the "right time" to hang up his boots, and is enjoying coaching, he says nothing will ever replace actually playing.

“Nothing will quite ever replace playing football and going out in front of 70-odd thousand and scoring goals, making goals and winning games.”