Manchester United have made their first official appearance in Sydney as part of their pre-season tour, holding a press conference at the Museum of Contemporary Art this afternoon.
Manchester United have made their first official appearance in Sydney as part of their pre-season tour, holding a press conference at the Museum of Contemporary Art this afternoon.
United boss David Moyes and Ryan Giggs addressed a packed media gallery, outlining their delight at being in Australia and what they planned to achieve during their time here.
"I'm pleased to be back. I came here three years ago but I think you really need to come back to a country a second time to properly see the sites.
"I'm really looking forward to the game. It's (going to be) a big game with a big crowd," said Moyes.
Moyes was philosophical in discussing his new team-s first up defeat to a Thailand All Stars team in Bangkok yesterday.
He assured the Australian public that the reigning English Premier League Champions would put on a much better showing when they played the Foxtel A-League All Stars this Saturday night, with some strike power still to fly in.
"We didn't quite get the goals we would of liked (against Thailand All Stars). Robin (van Persie) will join us in Sydney which will be great for us. We'd like to improve everything we do."
Despite the loss, veteran Ryan Giggs said he was encouraged by the team-s performance given the sweltering conditions and the fact that they have only just begun their pre-season preparations.
Giggs said that the squad were very much looking forward to the upcoming week and would enjoy the experience of meeting and performing for their Australian fans.
"Pre-season is definitely tough. The heat in our first game made things very difficult. We are looking forward to improving our performance when we play the All Stars."
NSW Minsiter for Sport and Recreation Graham Annesley was similarly looking forward to the highly anticipated clash next weekend and said it was an honour to be able to host such an event.
"I think if you took a survey right across the planet to ask what are the most recognisable sporting franchises in the world there is no doubt Manchester united would feature at the very top of that list.
"This event next Saturday night is exclusive to NSW so we are very honoured to have the team in our great state and our great city."
Manchester United will conduct various coaching clinics throughout the week as part of Football Federation Australia-s Community All Star program. They will hold their first training session tomorrow morning ahead of an official welcome presentation.
Manchester United will be opening up their final training session to the general public on Friday 19 July from 7:00pm at Allianz Stadium, Sydney.
Australian fans will have the opportunity to see the likes of Ryan Giggs, Robin Van Persie and Rio Ferdinand go through their paces before the sold-out clash with the inaugural Foxtel A-League All Stars side at ANZ Stadium on Saturday 20 July.
All tickets to the training session are just $15 and are currently on sale.
With 80 000 tickets being sold for the All Stars clash in a matter of minutes it is a great opportunity for those that missed out to get along and see the world-s biggest football club.
Please note that all tickets are general admission and that you can purchase up to eight (8) tickets per transaction, buy now!
The Foxtel A-League All Stars will debut against Manchester United at ANZ Stadium, Sydney, on 20 July with the match to be broadcast live and exclusive on the Seven Network nationally.