Fergie lauds Giggs’s ‘temperament’ at assault trial – Sporting Life

Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson told a British court on Friday that ex-star Ryan Giggs never lost his temper or displayed violence during his more than two-decade tenure at the club.

Ferguson gave evidence at Giggs’ trial that he assaulted and duressed an ex-girlfriend, saying the former player had displayed a “fantastic temper” throughout.

He is “the best example we’ve had at the club,” Ferguson told Manchester Crown Court, where Giggs has denied physically assaulting former partner, public relations agent Kate Greville, and her sister nearly two years ago.

Giggs also denies controlling Greville throughout their troubled relationship for years.

Giggs, 48, says the injuries Greville sustained were an accidental result of a three-way fight with her and her sister over a mobile phone.

The former winger has admitted he “may have gotten her and her sister” but has used his long playing career, in which he had an excellent disciplinary record, to argue he wasn’t violent.

Ferguson, 80, told the court he has known Giggs since the player joined Manchester United as a youngster.

Ferguson said he tried to shield the teenaged player from media attention after he was compared to the brilliant but wayward 1960s club legend George Best.

“If someone says you’re the next George Best, that’s a big problem. But the kid was great, no problems,” Ferguson said.

“To have a career as long as he’s been in a difficult position energetically has been everything we ever wished for.”

Giggs resigned as Wales manager in June after being furloughed since his arrest.

He said he didn’t want “continued interest in this case” to affect the team’s preparations for this year’s World Cup in Qatar.

He remains on conditional bail and has said he looks forward to “clearing my name”.

Giggs emerged on the scene as a teenager in the mid-1990s. He ended his career at Old Trafford as the most decorated player in English football history.

As a player in 23 years for Manchester United, he set a club record 963 appearances, winning 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League trophies.

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He began his coaching career at Old Trafford and took over temporarily at the end of the 2013/14 season following the sacking of David Moyes. Giggs then worked as an assistant to Louis van Gaal for two years.

Giggs was appointed manager of Wales in January 2018 and helped them qualify for Euro 2020, only their second appearance in a major tournament since the 1958 World Cup.

He missed the chance to lead them to last year’s European Championships after being on leave from the Welsh FA since November 2020.

He eventually stepped down from that role in June after Wales qualified for the World Cup under the guidance of his former assistant Rob Page.