Although Ryan Giggs is the most decorated player in English football, the Manchester United legend has been overlooked for a place in the Premier League Hall of Fame since it was introduced in 2020.
Ryan Giggs will go down as one of the best wingers to play for Manchester United after coming through the academy and excelling under Sir Alex Ferguson.
The 51-year-old made a record 963 appearances for the Red Devils during a 23-year career.
The devastating winger will be remembered at Old Trafford for many reasons, including one of the FA Cup’s iconic goals when he ran and skipped past several players to score against Arsenal in 1999, securing United’s place in the final.
Giggs was part of the Treble-winning side and won a total of 13 Premier League titles, as well as the Champions League for a second time in 2008.
The Welsh had spells as both player-coach and interim manager at Old Trafford. He then became Wales manager in January 2018 but stood down in November 2020 following his arrest on suspicion of assault, however, he didn’t formally resign from the role until 2022.
Despite all that he has achieved in the game, Giggs’ reputation was damaged by an accusation of domestic abuse, before he was formally found not guilty after his ex-girlfriend declined to give evidence in a retrial.
Ryan Giggs reacts to being snubbed by Premier League Hall of Fame
Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry were the first two inductees into the Premier League Hall of Fame. They were later joined by Eric Cantona, Roy Keane and David Beckham.
Now, there are 22 players inducted, but Giggs has been overlooked each time.
Giggs was also overlooked for the 2024 Hall of Fame nominations and the Premier League has yet to give an official explanation on the matter.
Many have speculated that the controversy over his character may be the reason for Giggs not getting recognition for his achievements as a footballer.
Giggs has finally spoken out about his absence from the Hall of Fame during an interview with former United teammate Rio Ferdinand.
On the latest episode of the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, the retired centre-back turned pundit asked Giggs if he was bothered by missing out on a place in the Premier League Hall of Fame.
Giggs responded: “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.”
Ferdinand was keen to make Giggs aware that he’d been inducted, which prompted a humorous reply from the Welshman: “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. Is Nev [Gary Neville] on it?”
The jokes about Gary Neville continued as Ferdinand suggested he would talk his way into the Hall of Fame.
“No, I don’t think Nev’s on it yet,” Ferdinand said. “He’ll be on it soon. He’ll talk his way into it, won’t he?”
Ryan Giggs legacy
As the most decorated player in English football, Giggs left behind an incredible legacy at Old Trafford.
Giggs may not get recognition for his career by the Premier League, but nobody can take away the fact he’s won more league titles than any other player.
When asked about his legacy as a player and how he’d like to be remembered, Giggs stressed that he was an entertainer on the pitch.
“I did want to entertain,” he added. “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…”
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