For almost 30 years Ryan Giggs has been a massive part of life at Manchester United.

With the arrival of Jose Mourinho, the tie between ex-player and club was always going to be a little stretched before snapping completely somewhere down the line.

Giggs' demotion from assistant manager comes as no shock to most. The Welshman was always looked upon as being the Old Trafford boss in the future and he may well become that, just not in the way that he or the club imagined.

With Mourinho, it will be his way of running things, and if Man United want success, who are they to deny a man who has won most things at every club he has managed?

The question is simple, although the answer is more problematic: where does the hugely popular Ryan Giggs go from here?

Undoubtedly, he will return to the club he loves one day, but for now, Giggs will need to take all he has learnt from Sir Alex Ferguson - as well as, albeit probably less, from David Moyes and Louis van Gaal - and manage a club in his own right.

To leave Old Trafford means standing on his own two feet, taking sole responsibility, guiding and tactically leading a club and making it better than it was when he arrived, or at least adding to the foundations already there.

Becoming a manager in his own right will enable him to go back to the Red Devils, but his next step needs to be a considered move, as he will surely receive requests for his services. Unlike his former team-mate, Gary Neville, Giggs would be better served to take a club in the UK rather than abroad.

Staying in the public eye will be very important for the Manchester United man. Appearances on TV could be another avenue for him, either as a guest pundit or as an analyst of the game, as Neville was with Sky.

If the camera doesn't appeal, then there will surely be work on radio alongside the usual commentators. His insight into the game would be invaluable and he would be able to maintain a high enough profile that clubs wouldn't forget him.

Giggs could follow a long line of footballers that sell their stories. Many fans would buy a book about Giggs' career, and alongside that he could write a weekly column, once again keeping his foot in the door.

With Giggs' demotion, Mourinho can be seen to be nervous about a man that has made his intentions of one day being the boss at United very clear. To ensure that doesn't happen anytime soon, Jose has clustered his acolytes close to him, effectively excluding Giggs from having any major role or decision making say in how Mourinho's club is run. Because it is now Mourinho's club.

It's a sad way for Ryan Giggs to end his current time at United. The most decorated player in the club's history has been made to feel unwanted, leaving Giggs no choice but to move on away from his childhood team.

Wherever Giggs goes, you have a feeling that the love affair and unique bond with Britain's most successful team isn't yet over.

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