Manchester United legends to help Vietnam reach the World Cup finals

Manchester United legends Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes have been tasked with the aim of inspiring a leading Vietnamese football academy to producing players who could one day help the nation qualify for the World Cup.

Giggs has signed a two-year deal to become the director of football at PVF Academy, which is based in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi, and will be assisted by Scholes as the centre tries to emulate St George's Park.

PVF wants to become the leading youth football training centre in Vietnam, and has outlined its plans to try and help the country, currently ranked 125th in the Fifa rankings, to qualify for the 2030 World Cup.

Giggs and Scholes will visit Vietnam regularly to coach players and train coaches at the academy, which is being overseen by Manchester United's former international marketing director Mike Farnan.

The Irishman's Red Strike Marketing company has masterminded the academy and, speaking about the decision to bring on board two United legends,

Farnan told the Mirror: "Their role is very important as they are seen by all the 300 elite children as the role models and standard bearers of the academy.

"From his visit, Ryan has already identified a number of kids that he would like to take over to the UK to give them some experience playing overseas.

"Both Paul and Ryan could not believe the technical ability of the kids from Under-9s up to the U18s. They both took sessions over the four days through all the age groups and where very surprised with the standard.

"This is ground breaking, a country hiring an English company to get involved from the very start where we advised on the design of the academy to running and managing it.

"Ryan said at the launch that this academy was better than Carrington and one of the best he has ever seen and that helps with the goal of World Cup qualification."