RYAN GIGGS IS back in football as director of football at Salford – a post he has held for much of the season, the PA news agency understands.
The former Manchester United star is one of the Sky Bet League Two club’s co-owners, with 27 March marking the 10th anniversary of the Class of 92’s high-profile takeover.
Nicky Butt replaced fellow co-owner Gary Neville as Salford’s chief executive in October and PA has learned Giggs has this season stepped up to the position of director of football.
It is the 50-year-old’s first job back in football since standing down as Wales manager in June 2022 in the run up to the World Cup in Qatar due to a then upcoming trial.
Giggs was cleared of domestic violence allegations made by his ex-girlfriend last July and a source close to him said at the time that he had “unfinished business in the game”.
The resumption of his managerial and coaching career may come down the line, but for now he is working as Salford’s director of football.
The club have not formally announced Giggs’ role, with the first mention of his new title coming in the recent confirmation of Alex Bruce as part of manager Karl Robinson’s coaching set-up.
Salford currently sit 20th in League Two, eights points above Colchester in the final relegation spot, having lost 3-1 at MK Dons at the weekend.
Giggs, Butt, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Paul Scholes and David Beckham each own 10 per cent of the club, with Singaporean businessman Peter Lim holding the other 40 per cent.
Meanwhile Aaron Ramsey has been included in Wales’ Euro 2024 play-off squad, despite not starting a match for six months.
The 84-times capped Wales skipper suffered a knee injury in September and was out until February, making two substitute appearances for Cardiff before picking up a calf complaint.
Despite Ramsey playing only 72 minutes since 16 September, manager Rob Page has named the 33-year-old midfielder in a 28-man squad as Wales seek to qualify for a third successive European Championship and fourth major tournament in five.
Wales host Finland in a Euro 2024 play-off semi-final in Cardiff on 21 March, with the winners at home against Estonia or Poland five days later to determine a place in Germany this summer.
There are also recalls for Adam Davies, Charlie Savage, Dylan Levitt, Josh Low, Rabbi Matondo, Rubin Colwill and Wes Burns in an enlarged squad.
Low replaces Tom Lockyer, who played in Wales’ last Euro 2024 qualifier against Turkey in November.
Luton defender Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest in a Premier League game at Bournemouth in December.
Reading midfielder Savage and in-form Cardiff forward Colwill join Wycombe defender Low in being promoted from Matty Jones’ under-21 squad.
Burns, Davies, Levitt and Matondo are recalled with Joe Morrell, Niall Huggins and Tom Bradshaw missing out through injury.
Wales Squad
W Hennessey (Nottingham Forest), D Ward (Leicester), T King (Wolves), A Davies (Sheff Utd), B Davies (Tottenham), J Rodon (Leeds, on loan from Tottenham), J Low (Wycombe), C Mepham (Bournemouth), B Cabango (Swansea), N Williams (Nottingham Forest), J Dasilva (Coventry), C Roberts (Leeds, on loan from Burnley), W Burns (Ipswich), E Ampadu (Leeds), J Sheehan (Bolton), D Levitt (Hibernian), J James (Birmingham), C Savage (Reading), A Ramsey (Cardiff, capt), H Wilson (Fulham), R Matondo (Rangers), D Brooks (Southampton, on loan from Bournemouth), D James (Leeds), N Broadhead (Ipswich), L Cullen (Swansea), R Colwill (Cardiff), B Johnson (Tottenham), K Moore (Ipswich, on loan from Bournemouth).
