Column | Giggs would never have played at China Cup, but new Wales boss can show he means business by bringing Bale

It’s fitting that Ryan Giggs starts his career in full-time management with a friendly in China because when he was a player there was no chance he would have been on the plane.

The new Wales manager made his international debut in 1991 but only played his first friendly nine years and 29 caps later. As for making a trip to China with the Wales national side? Forget it.

Giggs played in 10 friendlies for Wales and only one was outside Cardiff. That game, against Brazil in 2006, was at White Hart Lane in London – almost the same distance as the Welsh capital from his Manchester home.

The reason for Giggs skipping 30 friendlies during his 16-year international career is widely reported to be that Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson refused to allow the winger to play, a measure the Football Association of Walesagreed to in exchange for their only world-class player being released for competitive fixtures.

Now he is the manager, the boot is on the other foot.

You can understand why a manager would be concerned at his player making a 20,000km (12,000-mile) round trip from their English Premier League or Championship club to play in the China Cup.

It’s even worse for Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale, whose journey will be even longer.

The outstanding talent of this generation of Welsh footballers, Bale has long been treated with kid gloves, travelling to matches by private jet and not expected to play friendlies to help manage his never-ending list of injuries.