‘I am upset’ – Ryan Giggs opens up on being excluded from Premier League Hall of Fame
RYAN GIGGS has broken his silence on his omission from the Premier League Hall of Fame.
Launched in 2020, the Premier League Hall of Fame recognises and honours iconic players and managers in the division’s history.
So far, this has seen 22 players and two managers inducted into the coveted list since the inaugural inductions took place in 2021.
However, Giggs, the Premier League’s most decorated player with 13 titles, holds the record for assists with 162 and for scoring goals in consecutive seasons (21) and is third on the all-time appearance list, is not included and has never been nominated.
The 51-year-old, who in 2012 was voted the league’s best player at the 20 Seasons Awards, retired from professional football in 2014 after a 24-year spell with Manchester United.
The flying winger-turned midfield maestro also earned 64 caps for the Welsh National Team and represented Team GB at the London Olympics in 2012.
After hanging up his boots, he moved into coaching – initially as assistant to Louis van Gaal – before becoming the head coach of Wales in 2018.
But Giggs’ career was thrown into chaos in November 2020 when he was arrested under suspicion of two counts of assault against his ex-girlfriend Kate Greville, and her younger sister, Emma.
Giggs always denied the charges but stepped down as Wales boss in June 2022 due to his upcoming trial on the case.
He was later cleared of assaulting Greville, who declined to co-operate with a retrial, in 2023, before also being cleared on further counts of coercive or controlling behaviour against her and common assault against Emma.
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Giggs has been without a coaching job since the allegations came to light.
And asked whether he was bothered by his snub from the Hall of Fame list by former colleague Rio Ferdinand, Giggs told his podcast Rio Ferdinand Presents: “Not really.
“No, I mean, I don’t think about it until you just brought it up. I don’t think about it.
“I think when you start off, you don’t… These are the things that you’re not striving for.
“You’re striving off to win games and try and win trophies. That’s the most important thing for me.”
However, Giggs had a change of heart when Ferdinand revealed he had been inducted.
Giggs joked: “Now I am upset. Now I am… Jeez, what’s going on? I’m going to look at the list now when I go home.”
He then aimed another cheeky joke towards fellow Class of 92 member Gary Neville, asking if he had made it, to which Ferdinand replied: “No, I don’t think Nev’s on it yet.
“He’ll get on it soon. He’ll talk his way into it, won’t he?”
The pair then spoke about legacy and how Giggs wants to be remembered, considering his recent controversies, with an eight-year affair with his brother Rhodri’s wife also raising his notoriety.
He said: “I did want to entertain. I wanted to entertain in training. I wanted to entertain myself.
“So I wanted to… At United, you’ve got to win. But at the same time, if you can entertain and try things – you know, try little nutmegs, try little tricks, try and take players on…”
Former Man Utd stars to be inducted into the list include: David Beckham, Roy Keane, Eric Cantona, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, Rio Ferdinand and Andy Cole.
The shortlist of 2025 candidates is yet to be revealed.
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