Denis Irwin: Giggs' Influence Can Be Vital

Manchester United legend Denis Irwin believes Ryan Giggs' experience of playing against rivals Manchester City could be crucial when the sides meet on Sunday.

Giggs will watch on from the sidelines in a derby for the first time since hanging up his boots at the end of last season, as the Reds make the short trip across town. Irwin echoes Louis van Gaal by insisting that his former team-mate knows all about the importance of the clash, and believes he could play an important part in the eventual outcome.

“Ryan is a local lad and we’ve seen the way the derby has gone in the last five or six years," Irwin told MUTV. "I know when I played, certainly Liverpool was by far the biggest game of the season but, over the last five or six years, with City coming on board, it’s taken on added significance and Ryan knows all about that.

“We’ve had a couple of indifferent results against them. Giggsy, as the manager has been saying, is doing the tactics board and the video analysis and he knows what the derby is all about because he’s played in so many games. He knows, as a local lad, about the bragging rights with fans going to work in Manchester on Monday morning.

“We’re in touching distance of City but we are a work in progress and I can see us getting better and better with the confidence coming. Chelsea was a big game for us last weekend at Old Trafford but the derby is a big test for us now as our away form has been indifferent this season, considering the Leicester and MK Dons defeats and the draws we've had. You’d expect us to pick up more points away from home so this will be a sign as to where we’re at because it's a really difficult game for us.”