Man United legend Ryan Giggs gives honest reaction to Premier League Hall of Fame snub

Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs has been repeatedly overlooked for the Premier League Hall of Fame since its inception, despite being the league's most decorated player ever

Ryan Giggs says he is unbothered by his repeated exclusion from the Premier League Hall of Fame.

The Manchester United legend claims he doesn’t pay attention to the list, saying "the most important thing" for him is that he won games and trophies.

Giggs, 51, is often hailed as one of his generation's greatest wingers, having devoted his entire 24-year professional career to United before hanging up his boots in 2014. The Welshman holds the record for the most Premier League titles (13) and ranks third in all-time appearances with 632, thanks to his talent, longevity and versatility.

Legendary Red Devils manager Sir Alex Ferguson even counted Giggs among the four world-class players he ever coached during his long tenure. Therefore, it seemed inevitable that Giggs would be among the first names announced when the Premier League unveiled its Hall of Fame in 2020.

However, the first spots were filled by Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry in 2021 and followed by the likes of Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Dennis Bergkamp, Steven Gerrard, and David Beckham. The former Wales manager is still not among the 22 names included, having missed out each time.

And to top it off, he wasn't named on the 15-man shortlist for the 2024 Hall of Fame nominations. That’s led to the belief among his biggest advocates, including former United team-mate Rio Ferdinand, that he is being glaringly overlooked and underrated despite all of his achievements.

During the latest episode of his Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, presented by Qatar Airways, which went live on April 25, Ferdinand asked Giggs: "Are you bothered at all that you're not in the Premier League Hall of Fame? The first two inductees, I didn't imagine anyone else.

“You were the first person that jumps off the page to me. Does that play on your mind at all? Do you think, you know, how am I not in there?”.

Giggs responded: "Not really. No, I mean, I didn't think about it until you just brought it up. I don't think about it. I think when you start off, you don't... These are the things that you're not striving for. You're striving off to win games and try and win trophies. That's the most important thing for me."

The Welshman then asked: “Are you in it?,” to which Ferdinand said: “I made it, mate,” leading Giggs to jokingly say: “Now I am upset. Now I am… Jeez. What’s going on? I’m going to look at the list now when I go home.”

He added: "Is Nev [Gary Neville] on it?" as Ferdinand replied: "No, I don't think Nev's on it yet. He'll get on it soon. He'll talk his way into it, won't he?".

No official explanations have been provided for Giggs' omission from the Hall of Fame, however, the BBC said in January 2025 that many people believe 'the controversy over his character lay behind his absence'. Giggs has been embroiled in a number of off-the-pitch controversies in recent years.

When asked about the legacy he hopes to leave, the icon, who famously won the Treble with United in 1999, highlighted the most important thing for him, saying: “I did want to entertain. I wanted to entertain in training. I wanted to entertain myself.

“At United, you've got to win. But at the same time, if you can entertain and try things—you know, try little nutmegs, try little tricks, try and take players on.”