Cymru Cards: Defender, Zach Giggs.

With the recent announcement of the Cymru U19s squad list, ahead of their tie with England U19s, we look at some of the future stars of Welsh football that make up the squad.

We started with Chris Gunter, head coach and Cymru legend, a household name amongst Welsh football. Next up, we look at another familiar name, Giggs.

Son of former Wales and Manchester United star, Ryan Giggs, and nephew of Rhodri Giggs who had a brief spell playing in Bangor, having joined Bangor City FC in the early 2000s (Pictured below, at Farrar Road)

Having climbed through the ranks at the Manchester United Academy, following in his father’s footsteps. However, his path would take a different turn in 2023, as he found himself released from the United Academy.

Despite the setback, it wasn’t long before the defender found himself back in action. Following a brief trial, Giggs soon joined then Premier League side Sheffield United. During his first season within the club, newspaper The Guardian described Giggs as “one of the best first year scholars in the Premier League”.

A versatile defender Giggs offers both cover across the defensive backline and can step up into midfield when called upon. With his primary position on the flank, Zach sits deeper than his father Ryan did. At full-back, Zach Giggs does however follow in his fathers footsteps with his attacking mindset, with his ability to get forward and offer support in attack, setting himself up as a modern fullback.

Into his third year at Sheffield United, despite having not made an appearance for the first team setup, Giggs has impressed within the Under 21s setup – as he eyes a break through into the first team.

 Zach Giggs arrives at Bangor City Stadium next Wednesday, as an exciting prospect – one which we cannot wait to see what he will achieve in years to come. It’s clear that the youngster will be one to watch during the 90 minutes and across his career. An up-and-coming name within the Cymru camp, under the guidance of Gunter, who during his playing career occupied the same position, Giggs is sure to develop into an exciting and formidable and fullback. His ability to push up the flank, and test opposing defenders offers a depth to his game that some would call the makings of a “modern fullback”.

In our next instalment of Cymru Cards we look at another exciting star of the Cymru U19s squad. This time, we take a look at the opposite end of the pitch as we focus on a name that is being spoke of very highly within the Manchester United youth set-up. Can you guess who it is? Stay tuned on our social media for the next Cymru Card.