Ryan Giggs left Manchester United after spending 29 years at the club and the new Red Devils manager Jose Mourinho revealed the reason behind the Welshman's decision to leave Old Trafford.
The former winger was a part of David Moyes and Louis van Gaal's coaching staff, when the two were in charge of the club. The Dutchman was replaced by the 53-year-old in May, the position which was eyed by Giggs.
Since United decided against appointing Giggs as their manager, the club's most decorated player made his decision to leave the 20-time English champions for a managerial role at some other club.
"On Ryan Giggs, I want to make clear that it is not my responsibility that he is no longer at the club. The job Ryan wanted is the job the club decided to give to me. This is not my fault. The club, for reasons of their own, decided that the job was for me," United's official website quoted Mourinho as saying during his first press conference.
"From that moment, Ryan decided that he wanted to be a manager, just as I did 16 years ago. There is always a moment like this for coaches."
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Mourinho was also an assistant manager to Van Gaal at Barcelona and he left the Catalan club to pursue his managerial career at Benfica, which did not last long. After impressing at União de Leiria, he was appointed as manager of FC Porto. It was during this time that the Portuguese tactician announced his arrival to the world of football when his Porto knocked Sir Alex Ferguson's United out of the Champions League. The same year he went on to win the competition with them, before moving to Chelsea.
Since his time at Porto, Mourinho has enjoyed success at Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid. He has backed Giggs' decision to leave United in pursuit of a managerial role elsewhere, while also opening the door for the 42-year-old’s return to Manchester United, if he decides to rejoin his former club.
"The club wanted to give him an important job, but he made a brave decision. It is not easy – I left Barcelona with two years left on my contract as their assistant manager," the former Chelsea boss said.
"For Ryan, it is not just the step of going from assistant to manager; it is also leaving his house of 29 years. He has made a brave, honest decision and I say good luck to him.
"If one day he wants to come back whilst I am here then I will never stop him; I will always say yes if the club asks my opinion. If one day the club offers him the chance to be the manager, I think it will be natural and a consequence of the success of his managerial career.”
