Ryan Giggs has been working in football under the cloak of secrecy since October and his club Salford City did not publicly reveal his position until late February.
Giggs, 50, is Moor Lane’s director of football, a role he has held for much of the season, although the League Two side only alluded to his role publicly and indirectly last month.
It emerged that his role in The Ammies came just months after he was acquitted of domestic violence allegations made by a former partner.
The former Manchester United star is one of Salford’s co-owners, and this month (March 27) marks the 10th anniversary of the Class of ’92’s high-profile takeover.
Nicky Butt replaced co-owner Gary Neville as Salford chief executive in October and Giggs took over as director of football.
Ryan Giggs has taken over as director of football at Salford, the club of which he is a co-owner
It is his first job in football since he was acquitted of domestic violence allegations last year.
Giggs had pleaded not guilty to controlling or coercive behavior over a three-year period towards his ex-girlfriend Kate Greville, 38, between August 2017 and November 2020.
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It is his first return to football since he stepped down as Wales coach in June 2022, in the run-up to the World Cup in Qatar due to a looming trial.
Giggs was cleared of domestic violence allegations made by his ex-girlfriend Kate Greville last July and a source close to him said at the time that he had “unfinished business in the game.”
A resumption of his managerial and coaching career may come in the future, but for now he works as Salford’s director of football.
The club has not formally announced Giggs’ role, with the first mention of his new title coming in the recent confirmation of Alex Bruce as part of manager Karl Robinson’s coaching staff.
In a statement on February 20, they stated: “Salford City are delighted to welcome Alex Bruce to the club as men’s first team coach.
‘The 39-year-old was most recently manager of Macclesfield FC, which he joined last October.
‘With over 350 professional appearances to his name across the Premier League, Championship and League One, the two-time Championship promotion winner brings much more experience to Karl Robinson’s coaching staff.
‘Speaking about the arrival of the former Ipswich Town and Hull City defender, director of football Ryan Giggs said: “We are delighted to have Alex join us here to expand our coaching staff, on the recommendation of Karl who was interested in bringing him in “Alex will bring a lot of football experience with him and we would like to warmly welcome him to the club. Alex will begin working with Karl and the team immediately as they prepare for Saturday’s visit to Mansfield Town. Welcome to Peninsula Stadium!”
Salford currently sit 20th in League Two, eight points clear of Colchester in the final relegation spot, having lost 3-1 to MK Dons at the weekend.
Giggs, Butt, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Paul Scholes and David Beckham each own 10 per cent of the club, while Singaporean businessman Peter Lim owns the other 40 per cent.
City chief executive Butt said: “We support Salford City with as much commitment and confidence as ever.”
“We had an original 10-year plan and, with solid foundations already in place, it was always the intention to explore options for the next phase.”
It has been a turbulent time for Giggs, who was “deeply relieved” to be cleared of assaulting his ex-girlfriend Greville last July.
He faced charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm for allegedly head-butting Ms Greville, 38, as well as further charges of coercive or controlling conduct against her and common assault against his sister Emma.
His most recent job was as Wales manager, but he resigned in June 2022.
His lawyer said he was “looking forward to rebuilding his life and career as an innocent man” after he was acquitted.
Mail Sport recently attended an after-dinner talk Giggs gave in February at a hotel in Cheshire.
Giggs’ lawyer said his client was “hoping to rebuild his life and career as an innocent man” after he was acquitted.
Mail Sport’s Ian Herbert attended a droning after-dinner chat given by Giggs in Cheshire in February, a symbol of his significantly fallen status.
Instead of managing a football club as he would have hoped, the Man United legend was reduced to an outing on the speaking circuit, relating all his yesterdays to a not-quite-full banquet hall.
Giggs told the audience that his four games as interim United manager, following the sacking of David Moyes in 2014, made him realize he was cut out for the job. United won two of the games, drew one and lost another.
“It was the one I lost that made me want to direct,” he said.
“I wouldn’t say I enjoyed it, but I thought, ‘If you don’t perform, you’re off the team.’ That’s when I knew I definitely wanted to be a coach.”
Giggs has been dating Zara Charles since 2018.
A month after being cleared of domestic violence allegations, he was pictured joining Charles for a cozy lunch in Hale, Greater Manchester.
Giggs was in action at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Chester, where VIP tickets sold for £200.
In January, Rhodri Giggs said he could “bury” the former footballer if he wanted, following his brother’s long affair with his wife.
In 2011 it emerged that Natasha Lever had an eight-year affair with her husband Rhodri’s brother Ryan, who was also married at the time to his wife Stacey, which took place during much of his time at United.
Lever and Ryan had illicit affairs in hotel rooms and empty properties that she had access to through her job as a real estate agent, for which Rhodri claims she inadvertently gave him the idea.
Rhodri lashed out at his brother on The Central Club podcast, insisting he could have caused serious harm to the former footballer, 50, if he had wanted to sell stories to the media, as his family has accused him of doing for decades.
“All I’ve tried to be is a good father and husband, and he’s been wandering around and he’s just an idiot,” said Rhodri, a former soccer player. ‘I know what it’s about, they constantly think that I sold stories when I was younger because I was friends with a journalist because I liked him.
‘It doesn’t mean I’m selling secret stories, and they still think that to this day. They are fucking idiots, where is the proof? No test. The only small thing is that she would make up stories, saying that his Bentley was black when it was blue.
“This was 27 years ago, we’ve been fine after this, but as soon as all this shit happens, because I sold my story about this, they say, he’s at it again.” I wasn’t going to do it (on this occasion), because I talked to Ryan about getting our relationship back together, but he had to do it, I’m not going to instigate it, and I didn’t have anything for six or seven months.
In January, Giggs’ brother Rhodri (pictured) warned that he could “bury” Ryan if he wanted to.
He stepped out for a cozy lunch with girlfriend Zara Charles three weeks after being cleared of domestic violence allegations.
‘If I was going to sell some stories I would have done it last year and I would have buried this b****, I would have buried him. There are some stories I know that could have buried it, so if I wanted to sell stories I would, but why would I want to do that? Because? I would not do it.
“I’m not that bitter or that twisted, but he has to be careful, because he could have done it.” A lot of people could have done it, but they didn’t, and it’s all because he made the decisions he made, no one else. You can’t live life with this kind, innocent family man when you’re hitting everything in sight. How old is he, 48, 49? He needs to grow up.’