Ryan Giggs, who has stepped in as a temporary replacement for David Moyes after his sacking by Manchester United, took part in a pro-licence management course with the Guardian's Stuart James in March this year.

During a break at the Football Association's new facility at St George's Park, he shared his thoughts on coaching and management with our Midlands football correspondent:

"I've always been someone who wants to learn. The course teaches you a lot but also you have interaction with the other students and the experiences that they've got. We did some stuff on sport science, we've got five or six sport scientists at Man United; one of the lads said they haven't got one and have only got 12 full-time staff. It just makes you feel how hard it is for them, the challenges that they've got that could be different from the challenges you've got.

"The other coaching courses you go on, you would do a bit of preparation and a bit of planning, but actually speaking and communicating, you probably wouldn't do a lot of. You would do it as player but wouldn't address a team or a group. These are all skills that they are teaching us how to get better and preparing you, really, for when you do have to do it.

"I think you've got to be natural as much as you can as a manager, find your own style, not try and be somebody else. Different people have different characteristics. Sparky [Mark Hughes] would go on the pitch and kick lumps out of everyone, you would think he would be the most outgoing person ever but he wasn't; he was quite quiet off the pitch.

"Roy Keane – what you see is what you get on and off the pitch; he'll tell you how it is. Paul Ince similar. Steve Bruce – different again, he was someone who helped you as a young player, a great character. And he's not changed, he's still the same person.

"I think what this course does teach you is that there is no right or wrong way, so I might have a playing philosophy but you have to be adaptable as well. Maybe you haven't got the players to play that way, which was what Carlo Ancelotti was saying [during an interview with John Peacock, the FA's head of coaching].

"I found that really interesting, it was similar to me, growing up on 4-4-2 really. He didn't sign Roberto Baggio because he didn't fit into his philosophy at the time. So you have to be adaptable and maybe not be: 'I'm going to play like this.' You evolve really."