Footballer Ryan Giggs is used to being in the public eye, having grown from a talented teenager at Manchester United to England’s most-decorated player over the course of his career.
For the second time this week, Ryan Giggs will be under the spotlight in Manchester as he goes on trial for allegedly controlling and coercing his ex-girlfriend Kate Greville.
Additionally, he is accused of assaulting Greville, inflicting actual bodily harm, and assaulting her younger sister, Emma Greville, at his residence.
The charges against Giggs have been denied, and he has pleaded not guilty to all of them.
However, his coaching career has already been affected by the case.
Giggs was unable to lead Wales to the European Championships last year because he has been on leave since November 2020 by the Welsh FA.
Wales qualified for the World Cup under Rob Page’s leadership in June and he finally resigned from that position.
However, it was on the pitch for Manchester United that Giggs became famous.
It was Alex Ferguson who saw the first glimpse of a youngster who would play a pivotal role in his reign as manager of Manchester United.
His first memory of him was “I remember the first time,” he said. In the wind, he “floated like a cocker spaniel chasing a piece of silver paper.”
On March 15, 1991, at the age of 17, Giggs made his league debut for Manchester United against Everton. Giggs had previously been on Manchester City‘s books as an apprentice.
At the start of his career, the winger, who was born in Cardiff, was likened to Manchester United legend George Best because of his speed and ability to terrorize defenders.
As the glitzy Premier League era began, he became one of the most marketable players.
David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Gary and Phil Neville brothers were all part of the “Class of 92,” but in terms of awards, he outperformed them all.
In the 1999 FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal, he raced from his own half and slalomed through the Arsenal defense before smashing a shot past David Seaman. That goal remains his most memorable moment.
A Treble-winning season was the culmination of two decades of near-constant success for Manchester United under manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Nevertheless, he scored 168 goals in 963 appearances over a 23-year career in which he set a club record for appearances and goals.
Giggs grew from a brash winger to a calm, creative midfielder as he neared his 40th birthday, and he remained an integral part of the United team.
The Welshman retired from football in 2014 after a trophy-laden career that included 13 Premier League championships and two Champions League crowns.
After David Moyes’ disastrous tenure as United manager ended in 2013/14, he served as interim manager for a short time before working for Louis van Gaal for two years as a coach at Old Trafford.
On the field, he was never as assertive as some of his Manchester United teammates and was not seen as an obvious choice for management positions.
Even though he was a former player of Wales’ national team, he admitted when he was named manager that he knew he had no guarantee of success in his new role.
He hopes to return to coaching in the future, but for the time being, he is focused on clearing his name while awaiting trial.
