Former Aberdeen winger Connor McLennan has revealed he is receiving advice from Manchester United and Wales legend Ryan Giggs.
A product of the Dons’ youth academy, the 24-year-old now stars for Salford City in England’s League Two.
Manchester United’s famous Class of ’92, consisting of Giggs, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, Phil Neville and David Beckham, took over Salford City a decade ago.
The Class of ’92 formed a consortium and successfully completed a takeover of the club in March 2014 along with majority shareholder Peter Lim.
Giggs regularly attends Salford City training sessions and passes on valuable tips to McLennan.
During his career, Giggs, 50, won 13 Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues, four FA Cups and four League Cups.
And the words of wisdom from one of football’s greatest wingers is improving McLennan as a player.
He said: “It is surreal seeing them (Class of ’92) about and they will come and give advice whenever they feel you need it.
“Ryan Giggs is about the training ground quite a lot as well as Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes.
“They give advice when you need it.
“Giggs has given me advice.
“As a winger you take his advice on board, because he was such a great player.”
Giggs’ advice to winger McLennan
Giggs, Butt and Scholes have a more hands-on role at Salford City.
Beckham is co-owner of MLS side Inter Miami in the United States and helped orchestrate the signing of legend Lionel Messi, who recently won a record eighth Ballon d’Or.
Phil Neville is also in the States as he manages MLS club Portland Timbers.
McLennan signed for Salford City last summer on an initial one-year deal.
The 24-year-old revealed the advice from Old Trafford great Giggs.
McLennan said: “He said to mix up my game, use your speed in behind and come short sometimes.
“Dribble inside the pitch and on the wing to mix it up and not be too predictable for the defenders.
“That’s what defenders hate.”
Focused on rising up the league
Salford City were playing in the eighth tier when the Class of ’92 arrived 10 years ago.
In 2019, they beat AFC Fylde 3-0 in the play-off final at Wembley to reach the English Football League for the first time.
However they have remained in League Two with that upward momentum stalling.
Salford City are teetering near the relegation zone and recently changed manager with Karl Robinson appointed as a replacement for axed Neil Wood.
McLennan said: “The new manager has come in and hopefully we have turned a corner now.
“We will try to push up the table.”
‘I still support Aberdeen’
McLennan ended 15 years at Pittodrie when signing for Salford City last summer.
He spent last season, the final year of his Dons contract, on loan at St Johnstone.
The winger was not offered a new deal by Aberdeen.
He made 108 appearances for Aberdeen (53 starts) and scored eight times.
McLennan memorably scored the second goal in a 2-0 Scottish Cup defeat of Rangers at Ibrox in March 2019.
He is loving life in England – but remains a committed Aberdeen supporter.
The winger said: “It has been great for me at Salford.
“I had been up in Scotland for a while as I made my debut at 16 and wanted to come down here to try something different.
“The games are relentless with Saturdays and midweek fixtures, which I enjoy.
“I was in the last year of my contract at Aberdeen and nothing had been said about extending so I wasn’t really thinking about that.
“We were in a sticky situation with St Johnstone and I was genuinely just concentrating on that.
“Obviously I didn’t get a new contract (at Aberdeen) so that was that.
“I still support Aberdeen and watch every game when they are on television.
“There are not too many players still there that I played with, but I still hope they win.”
Pushing for regular Salford starts
McLennan signed for Salford in the bid to secure regular first-team starts.
He has played 21 times for the League Two side, scoring twice.
He said: “At Aberdeen and St Johnstone, I was in and out of games.
“I felt it was hard to improve myself when I was fighting all the time for a spot.
“I wanted to go somewhere where I was playing week in, week out, hence the loan move to St Johnstone.
“I was still in and out as St Johnstone played a back five, which didn’t really suit me.”
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