Manchester United teaching nice Alex Ferguson was known as Friday as a personality witness for Ryan Giggs in a courtroom case involving the previous soccer star.
Giggs is on trial on expenses of assault and use of coercive habits in opposition to an ex-girlfriend.
The 80-year-old Ferguson, who was giving proof within the courtroom on Day 10 of the trial, mentioned Giggs had a “fantastic temperament.”
He instructed the courtroom: “To have a career as long as he had in a difficult position, in terms of energy, he fulfilled everything we ever wished for.”
“Everyone looked at Ryan Giggs as the number one,” he added.
Asked by Giggs’ lawyer if he had ever seen Giggs “lose his temper or become aggressive,” Ferguson mentioned: “No.”
Ferguson mentioned Giggs was sturdy sufficient to take “the sharp end of my tongue.”
“I used Ryan a lot in the sense of, when I lost my temper about performance I would use Ryan as an example sometimes,” Ferguson mentioned.
“Everyone else,” he added, “in the dressing room would think, ‘If Ryan Giggs can take it, we can all take it.’”
The 48-year-old Giggs is accused of assaulting Kate Greville, 36, and inflicting precise bodily hurt at his dwelling in Worsley, Greater Manchester, in November 2020. He can be charged with frequent assault of Greville’s youthful sister throughout the identical incident, in addition to utilizing controlling and coercive habits towards his former girlfriend between August 2017 and November 2020.
Giggs has denied all the expenses.
He stood down as supervisor of the Wales nationwide crew in June, saying he didn’t need to jeopardize preparations for the World Cup later this yr in Qatar. He had been on go away since November.
Ferguson, who was United supervisor from 1986-2013, recalled Giggs making his debut for the crew on the age of 17.
“The thing was, the press started comparing him with (former United star) George Best. We had to face a lot of attention on the boy. I said to his mother, ‘Look, if you are able to trust me. I’ll look after him.’”
Ferguson added: “When someone’s saying you’re the next George Best, it’s a big issue. But the boy was great, no problems.”
During the trial, Giggs has mentioned it was justified that he had a fame for infidelity however mentioned he has “never” bodily assaulted a lady.
