Update: 14:59
Confirmed: Ryan Giggs has retired as a player at #MUFC after 23 years in order to be assistant mgr to Van Gaal. Story http://t.co/1EkWXlHSFl
— Oliver Kay (@OliverKayTimes) May 19, 2014
14:19
What we already knew has become official today. Dutchman Louis van Gaal has been appointed as Man Utd manager and will take over following the conclusion of the Netherlands' World Cup campaign. He has signed a 3-year deal.
Ryan Giggs has been confirmed as assistant manager and Van Gaal's fellow Dutchmen Frans Hoek and Marcel Bout have been named as assistant coaches.
The club has released the following statement on the appointment:
Louis van Gaal will take over as manager of Manchester United from the 2014/15 season. He has signed a three-year contract.
Louis, 62, has managed at the top level of European football for over 20 years and in that time has won domestic titles and domestic cups in three countries, as well as the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Cup, an Intercontinental Cup, two UEFA Super Cups and domestic Super Cups in Holland and Germany.
He will take up his post after the FIFA World Cup, where he will manage the Dutch national team.
Ryan Giggs, English football's most decorated footballer and the United player with most appearances in the club's history, has been appointed as assistant manager. Ryan took charge of the first team for the last four matches of the 2013/14 season.
Announcing the appointments, Ed Woodward said: "In Louis van Gaal, we have secured the services of one of the outstanding managers in the game today. He has achieved many things in his career to date and Old Trafford provides him with a fitting stage on which to write new chapters in the Manchester United story.
What still remains unclear, from this statement at least, is whether or not Giggs will continue his playing career. It was reported last week that Van Gaal would request that the Welshman focus solely on his coaching role with the club, leading many to think that would be the end of his time as a player.
