Ryan Giggs: The best example Ferguson says he had of the former Manchester United star

Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson leaves Manchester Crown Court on August 19, 2022, as former Manchester United footballer Ryan Giggs appears in court. — Subscribe to our Telegram channel and browser alerts to stay up to date on the latest news from Reuters. Saturday, August 20, 2022, 8:05 a.m. MYT LONDON, 20 AUGUST — Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson testified Friday in a UK court that ex-star Ryan Giggs never lost his temper or displayed violence during his more than two-decade tenure at the club. Ferguson testified at Giggs’ trial for assaulting and coercively controlling an ex-girlfriend, saying the former player had a “fantastic temperament.” Ferguson told Manchester Crown Court that Giggs was “the best example we had at the club.” Giggs has denied physically assaulting his former partner, PR agent Kate Greville, and her sister nearly two years ago. Giggs also denies having control over Greville during their turbulent years-long relationship. Giggs, 48, claims Greville’s injuries were the result of an unintentional three-way fight with her and her sister over a mobile phone. The former winger admitted he “may have caught her and her sister,” but he claims he was not violent because of his long playing career and excellent disciplinary record. Ferguson, 80, testified in court that he had known Giggs since he was a young player at Manchester United. Ferguson said he tried to shield the teenager from media scrutiny after he was compared to brilliant but erratic 1960s club legend George Best. “It’s a big deal when someone says you’re the next George Best. “But the boy was fantastic, no issues,” Ferguson said. “To have a career as long as he did in a difficult position, he fulfilled everything we ever wished for in terms of energy.” After being on leave since his arrest, Giggs resigned as Wales manager in June. He stated that he did not want the team’s preparations for this year’s World Cup in Qatar to be hampered by “continued interest in this case.” He remains on conditional bail, and has said he looks forward to “clearing my name”. In the mid-1990s, Giggs burst onto the scene as a teenager. He retired from Manchester United as the most decorated player in English football history. He made a club-record 963 appearances for Manchester United over a 23-year period, winning 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League trophies. He began his coaching career at Manchester United, taking over as interim manager at the end of the 2013/14 season after David Moyes was fired. Giggs then spent two years as an assistant to Louis van Gaal. Giggs took over as Wales manager in January 2018 and helped them qualify for Euro 2020, their first major tournament appearance since the 1958 World Cup. He missed out on leading them to the European Championships last year after being placed on leave by the Welsh FA until November 2020. He finally stepped down in June, after Wales qualified for the World Cup under the direction of his former assistant Rob Page. — AFP