Ryan Giggs appeared to be an unused substitute on Wednesday morning when his pregnant girlfriend Zara Charles made a rare appearance without the retired footballer.
Charles, 36, revealed a prominent baby bump while venturing into a Cheshire cafe, just over a fortnight after confirming her pregnancy.
Wearing a white linen shirt over a gray vest and loose-fitting sweatpants, the mom-to-be appeared relaxed as she mingled with shoppers in Hale on Wednesday.
Charles was left without former Manchester United and Wales legend Giggs, 50, with whom she confirmed her pregnancy in May.
Giggs is father to footballer son Zach, 17, and daughter Libby, 19, from his 10-year marriage to Stacey Cooke, while Zara has a daughter from a previous marriage.
Ryan Giggs appeared to be an unused substitute on Wednesday morning when his pregnant girlfriend Zara Charles made a rare appearance without the retired footballer.
Charles revealed a prominent baby bump while venturing into a Cheshire cafe, just over a fortnight after confirming her pregnancy.
A source told The Sun: “Ryan and Zara are delighted at the prospect of becoming parents again.
“They have a very strong and loving relationship and are building a long-term future together.”
Insiders claim that Giggs’ ex-wife Stacey, who divorced Ryan in 2017, has also given him her blessing, as well as their children.
The source added: “Ryan was nervous about what his kids would think, but they’ve met Zara over the last few years and they really like her. They’re happy because they know he’s happy…
“But they have joked that he might have problems with late nights and lack of sleep. Ryan and Zara are delighted at the prospect of becoming parents again, have a very strong romantic relationship and are building a long-term future together.”
Another source told the publication: ‘Stacey approves of Zara. She and Ryan have been through a lot, but they have moved on and she is only interested in him being happy, because that makes him a good father to her children. There is no animosity.’
Giggs and Stacey divorced in 2017 after it was revealed that he had had an eight-year affair with his brother Rhodri’s wife, Natasha.
Members of his family cut ties with him when the news broke, with his father saying he was “ashamed” of his son, while his brother made headlines by appearing in a Paddy Power advert mocking the former Manchester United player.
Wearing a white linen shirt over a gray vest and loose-fitting sweatpants, the mom-to-be appeared relaxed as she mingled with shoppers in Hale on Wednesday.
Charles was left without former Manchester United and Wales legend Giggs, with whom she confirmed her pregnancy in May.
The marriage survived the affair (and another affair with former Big Brother contestant Imogen Thomas), before they finally split in 2016.
According to Leiper Gupta Family Lawyers, the divorce could have cost Giggs £20 million, but the couple’s lawyers said they remained “firm friends”.
The former footballer recently returned to work as director of football at Salford City, a club of which he is co-owner along with his former teammates Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and David Beckham, after being acquitted of assaulting his ex-girlfriend Kate Greville in 2023.
He faced charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm for allegedly headbutting Katie, as well as further charges of coercive or controlling conduct against her and common assault against his sister Emma.
But, in a 10-minute court hearing, the prosecution offered no evidence and Judge Hilary Manley said: “Not guilty verdicts in respect of each of the three charges will soon be formally issued.”
The lingerie model and the retired footballer, who have been dating since 2021, are said to be expecting their first child together later this year.
Giggs’ ex-wife Stacey also gave them her blessing, as well as his children (pictured with daughter Libby, 19, and son Zach, 17).
Chris Daw KC, defending Giggs, said his client is “deeply relieved that the process has finally come to an end after almost three years in which he has been fighting to clear his name”, adding: “It has always been innocent of these charges. Many lies have been told about him in court.
It was then revealed how the case began to unravel when Katie said she did not want to testify due to the effects of the process on her ‘physical and mental well-being’.
However, Giggs’ lawyers said he “did not believe” their reasoning, insisting the prosecution had been discouraged by new information uncovered by the defence.
This included a cosmetic procedure to fill her lips on or around the day of the alleged headbutt and several days before she appeared in the photo with her lips apparently swollen and bruised as a result of the alleged attack.