Giggs to leave Man United

Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs will
leave Old Trafford after rejecting Jose
Mourinho’s offer of a reduced backroom
role, according to British media reports on
Friday.
Giggs is the most decorated player in
United’s illustrious history and he amassed
a record 963 appearances and 35 major
trophies before going on to serve as an
assistant to David Moyes and Louis van
Gaal.
But the 42-year-old is set to quit United
because he feels snubbed both by the club’s
hierarchy, who reportedly told him he
would be offered the chance to succeed van
Gaal when the Dutchman left, and
Mourinho, who opted not to give him a
senior role in his coaching team.
Giggs had one more year on his contract as
assistant manager, but Mourinho was said
to be concerned the former Wales winger
had distanced himself from both Moyes and
van Gaal rather than offering public
support during the team’s struggles in
recent years.
Mourinho was also believed to be worried
that Paul Scholes, a close friend and former
United colleague of Giggs, had become a
very vocal critic of Moyes and van Gaal.
Instead of risking a similar scenario during
his reign, Mourinho, who officially starts
work with United this week after his May
appointment, will give the role of assistant
manager to his long-time associate Rui
Faria.
Mourinho’s only concession to Giggs was
reported to have been the offer of a
position overseeing the connection between
United’s youth teams and the first team.
But, after considering his options on a
holiday in Dubai, he decided he was
dissatisfied with that role and how the club
has been run during the post-Alex Ferguson
era.
– Decorated –
Although United hoped Giggs could be
persuaded to stay on in a different role, he
has decided to call time on almost three
decades with the club.
Giggs, who won two of his four matches as
United’s caretaker manager following
Moyes’ sacking in 2014, this week worked as
a television pundit during Euro 2016.
But, rather than go into the media, he is
said to be keen to land a permanent
managerial position and, according to the
Daily Mail, United are in negotiations with
his advisors over a pay-off for the final year
of his contract, with an official statement
expected in the coming days.
Giggs has passed all his coaching badges,
was linked with the manager’s job at
Swansea last season and is unlikely to be
short of coaching offers once the first
managers are axed next season.
Giggs, who joined United on his 14th
birthday in 1987, contributed to some of the
greatest moments in the club’s history
during the golden reign of Ferguson, who
was the Welshman’s only club manager
until he retired in 2013.
He turned professional aged 17 in
November 1990 and made his first team
debut against Everton in March 1991.
Eventually becoming the most decorated
British player of all time, Giggs won 13
Premier League titles, two Champions
Leagues, four FA Cups, four League Cups,
the Club World Cup, the Intercontinental
Cup, the European Super Cup and nine
Community Shields.