Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs says he could never manager arch-rivals Liverpool as he “would no longer have friends”.

The Welshman has recently been linked to vacant managerial positions at Swansea and Cardiff after leaving his role as assistant manager at Old Trafford at the end of last season.

He took charge of the Red Devils on an interim basis in 2014 following David Moyes’ sacking as manager, but admits he could never bring himself to manage Liverpool.

“No. Just a no,” he said speaking at the Welsh Community Football Awards.

“That’s no disrespect to Liverpool , I just wouldn’t. I would no longer have friends!

“Liverpool is a team who for me was always our biggest rivals, because growing up they were winning everything and they were the team to emulate. They are a fantastic club but the rivalry is too big for me to manage Liverpool.

“I moved from Cardiff to Salford when I was seven. You were literally growing up encouraged to dislike people from Liverpool.

“I played for Salford under-11s and you would play Sefton, Liverpool boys, Bootle boys and the rivalry was so great. You grow up with it.

“I’m sure Steven Gerrard would say the same about managing Manchester United. He would simply say no.

“I was always a United fan, my grandmother hammered it home ‘You are a United fan’.

“She loved the Busby Babes, she loved George Best, she was the driving force behind me being a Man United supporter.”