Ryan Giggs was invited to become an inaugural member of the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2020, only for the offer to be withdrawn during his subsequent court case. The Manchester United legend was selected alongside Alan Shearer as the first inductees, but the ceremony was postponed because of the Covid pandemic. When the rescheduled event took place in 2021, Thierry Henry stood in his place.
Giggs was charged in April 2021 with coercive or controlling behaviour against his former partner Kate Greville and assaulting her sister, while he was manager of Wales. He was ultimately cleared in 2023 after the Crown Prosecution Service withdrew the charges when his ex-partner stepped back from giving evidence at a retrial. The CPS said at the time: “We have determined there is no longer sufficient evidence available to proceed in respect of the controlling or coercive behaviour charge and that it is no longer in the public interest to prosecute the remaining assault charges.”
Since the collapse of the case, there have been growing calls for the 52-year-old to be included among the Premier League’s greatest players. Giggs made 963 appearances for United from 1991 to 2014 and scored 168 goals, and he holds the record for most Premier League titles won by any player, with 13. In December, he said the Hall of Fame was “not something that I really think about”, adding: “If it happens, great. If it doesn’t, then I won’t lose sleep over it.”
The Premier League is understood to have been in dialogue with Giggs’s agents since 2020, with conversations last held before the most recent induction ceremony in November. In a statement not directly addressing any individual player, the league said: “The hall of fame shortlist is selected at the discretion of the Premier League in consultation with members of the Premier League awards panel. The final inductees each year are determined by the existing members of the hall of fame. The shortlist is reviewed on an annual basis with a number of factors taken into account including previous shortlist voting data, eras, player positions and achievements. New players who meet the criteria for selection become eligible upon their retirement from professional football.”
