Ryan Giggs resurfaces with new partner and baby after domestic abuse case collapsed

Ryan Giggs has spent the past two years largely out of the public eye following the collapse of the domestic abuse case against him, but signs are emerging that the former Manchester United winger may be preparing a return to football management.

Giggs, 52, was first arrested on suspicion of assault in November 2020 after an incident involving his then-partner Kate Greville and her sister Emma. He stood trial, but jurors failed to reach majority verdicts on the assault charges or on a separate charge of controlling and coercive behaviour spanning three years. A retrial was abandoned in 2023 after the Crown Prosecution Service dropped the charges, with Greville stating she felt “worn down” by the proceedings and could not face giving evidence again. Giggs has maintained a low profile ever since.

In an alternate timeline, Giggs might have been leading Wales at the 2026 World Cup this summer. He took charge of the national side in 2018 following Chris Coleman’s departure, but resigned in 2022 as the legal proceedings unfolded. He has spoken candidly about how difficult that period was, telling former team-mate Rio Ferdinand on his podcast that he broke down watching Wales compete at Euro 2024 from home.

“It was heartbreaking,” Giggs said. “It was obviously a very difficult time because I’m watching it on TV. We scored late on, and I’m jumping around the front room, and then all of a sudden I look at the TV and it’s all the staff and players jumping in the dugout, and I’m gone. Sat down and gone.”

His only formal involvement in football since stepping back from management was a stint as director of football at Salford City, the League Two club he previously co-owned with his Class of ‘92 colleagues before a takeover completed in May 2024. He has since left that role too, with reports indicating he is weighing a return to the dugout.

“I loved managing Wales, obviously. I do miss it, so hopefully,” he said when asked about a potential comeback.

On a personal level, Giggs welcomed a child with partner Zara Charles in 2024. The couple, who have a 14-year age gap, live together in a property reported to be worth £2.1 million. His son from a previous relationship has also followed him into professional football.

With the World Cup in North America drawing attention to the generation of Old Trafford icons now working in punditry — among them Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville — Giggs remains a conspicuous absence from the broadcast landscape. Whether a managerial role changes that remains to be seen.