The Premier League is facing growing calls to admit Ryan Giggs to its Hall of Fame, six years after withdrawing an invitation that would have made him one of its founding members.
The 52-year-old former Manchester United and Wales winger holds a record 13 Premier League titles, yet remains excluded from the honour despite being cleared of domestic abuse charges in 2023.
According to The Times, Giggs was originally invited alongside Alan Shearer to become the first inductees at a launch event scheduled for March 2020.
The coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of that ceremony, and following his arrest on domestic abuse charges in April 2021, the league replaced him with Thierry Henry.
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Giggs made his first appearance for United in 1991 and remained at Old Trafford for more than two decades before hanging up his boots at the conclusion of the 2013-14 campaign.
His trophy haul extends well beyond his league medal collection, with two Champions League triumphs and four FA Cup victories to his name.
The former Wales manager currently serves as director of football at League Two club Salford City, though he has expressed interest in returning to the dugout.
Ryan Giggs won 13 Premier League titles during his time at Man Utd
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His representatives are understood to have held discussions with the Premier League ahead of the most recent Hall of Fame announcement in November, yet his name was again absent from the inductees.
The continued exclusion of Giggs stands in stark contrast to the treatment of other Hall of Fame members with troubled pasts.
Eric Cantona received his place despite a conviction for assaulting a supporter, while Tony Adams was inducted having served time in prison for drink driving.
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Five facts about the Premier League | PA/GETTY/REUTERS/GBNEWSJohn Terry earned selection notwithstanding a five-match FA ban for racist behaviour, and Rio Ferdinand joined the Hall of Fame despite an eight-month suspension for failing to attend a drugs test.
These precedents have prompted fellow former professionals to voice their bewilderment at the league's stance on Giggs.
His acquittal came after his former girlfriend chose not to provide testimony during a retrial, leaving him "deeply relieved" at the outcome.
Matt Le Tissier, the former Southampton midfielder, questioned the league's decision on X in October, writing: "Surely Ryan Giggs should've been one of the first names in the Premier League Hall of Fame?"
Ryan Giggs retired from football back in 2014
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The selection process combines public voting with a panel-chosen shortlist, before existing members make the final determination.
A Premier League spokesman declined to address Giggs's exclusion directly, stating that the shortlist is reviewed annually with factors including "previous shortlist voting data, eras, player positions and achievements" taken into consideration.
Giggs himself appears unfazed by the snub.
"It's not something that I really think about," he told the Daily Mail in December. "If it happens, great. If it doesn't, then I won't lose sleep over it."