Ryan Giggs has once again been omitted from the Premier League’s Hall of Fame shortlist, despite a career record that places him as the competition's most decorated player.
The former Manchester United winger won 13 league titles during his 24-year playing career, more than any other player, and still holds the record for the most assists in Premier League history with 162.
Since the Hall of Fame was launched in 2021, however, Giggs has not been included on any of the nomination lists.
His absence contrasts with several of his former Old Trafford team-mates, many of whom continue to feature prominently.
Ryan Giggs won 13 Premier League titles during his time at Manchester United
|PA
This year’s 15-man shortlist includes first-time nominees Patrice Evra and Teddy Sheringham, alongside Gary Neville, Michael Carrick, Nemanja Vidić, Edwin van der Sar and Michael Owen, who have all been shortlisted previously.
From beyond Manchester United, Chelsea legends Eden Hazard and Cesc Fàbregas headline the new contenders.
Hazard, twice a Premier League champion, was a four-time Chelsea Player of the Year and produced countless memorable moments across his seven seasons at Stamford Bridge.
Fàbregas, meanwhile, ranks second on the all-time assists chart with 111, having flourished at both Arsenal and Chelsea throughout his career.
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Other nominees include Arsenal Invincible Sol Campbell, Liverpool great Robbie Fowler, Tottenham icon Jermain Defoe, Manchester City pair David Silva and Yaya Touré, and QPR hero Les Ferdinand.
Collectively, the shortlist accounts for more than 5,000 Premier League appearances, over 1,000 goals and 44 league titles.
Supporters are able to cast their votes via the Premier League app and website until September 15.
The final decision will then go before the existing 24 Hall of Fame inductees, a group that includes Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Wayne Rooney and Sir Alex Ferguson.
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Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas have been nominated for the Premier League Hall of Fame
|PA
Two players will be added at a ceremony in London on November 4, where each inductee will receive a bespoke medallion and a £10,000 donation made in their name to a charity of their choice.
Giggs’s continued omission reflects the complexity surrounding his legacy.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in Premier League history, his off-field life has been the subject of intense scrutiny in recent years.
His marriage ended amid well-publicised revelations about his private life, while his managerial career with Wales was cut short in 2020 following his arrest on suspicion of assault.
He denied the allegations and was cleared in 2023 when a retrial was abandoned after his former partner withdrew from proceedings.
Now 51, Giggs has not returned to front-line management and instead works behind the scenes as director of football at Salford City, the League Two club co-owned by several members of Manchester United’s famed “Class of ’92.”
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Ryan Giggs currently works as a director at Salford City
| PAThe Hall of Fame is designed to honour players who have made outstanding contributions to the Premier League since its inception in 1992.
While Giggs’s playing record is unmatched in several categories, his absence from the shortlist for a fourth consecutive year has once again sparked debate among fans and pundits.