Salford City manager Neil Wood has opened up on the input former Manchester United stars Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes have at the League Two side.
The four 'Class of 92' members were part of a group which took over the club in 2014, when Salford were still playing non-league football. They have since climbed into the league, and plenty of discussions of their progress tend to make reference to their high-profile owners.
New boss Wood arrived in the summer, having spent three years in charge of United's under-23 side. The 39-year-old has led a play-off push in his first few months at the helm, and has spoken about the roles of a group of ex-pros who he first encountered when on United's books as a player himself.
"I speak to all of them," Wood told The Athletic. "Gary [Neville[ has got a lot going on in his life, so we have a meeting every couple of weeks where we talk about things that need to be better or any obstacles we can get over to make improvements at the club. That’s valuable.
"Ryan has been around the training pitch a lot and lending his support. He’s very good to talk to, has great experience and I’ve spoken to him many times about how he did things at Wales. There’s nobody better to speak to about things on the pitch either.
"Nicky is a massive support, Scholesy helps with recruitment and he knows what a player looks like. We have a slick way of running things so that we have clarity about where we’re going."
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Wood began his playing career at United, but injuries meant he left without making a senior appearance for the club. He played for teams in Belgium and Bosnia, as well as lower down the football pyramid, before retiring in 2010 at the age of 27.
He took over as coach of the club's under-23 side in 2019, with 17 academy talents making their debuts before he left Old Trafford. The group includes Alejandro Garnacho, who made his bow last season and was handed a first start by Erik ten Hag in this season's Europa League.
Wood explained the Salford owners have been "really good in different ways" as he has found his feet in a first EFL managerial role. "They’ve given me space, allowed me to run things how I want and supported me with staff. It’s important that the club moves forward," he said.
Salford briefly sat top of League Two after taking 10 points from their first four games this season. They have since dropped back, but are only out of the play-off spots on goal difference after 16 games.
