Ryan Giggs is back in the beautiful game as director of football at Salford - a post he has held for much of the season.
The former Manchester United star is one of the Sky Bet League Two club's co-owners, with March 27 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 Kate Greville 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.
City chief executive Butt said: 'We are backing Salford City with as much commitment and confidence as ever.
'We had an original 10-year plan and with strong foundations now in place, it was always the intention to explore options for the next phase.'
Giggs was 'deeply relieved' after being sensationally cleared of assaulting his ex-girlfriend Greville, who declined to co-operate with a retrial that was due to start last July.
The ex-Manchester United footballer, 49, was facing charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm over an alleged headbutt on Ms Greville, 38, plus further counts of coercive or controlling behaviour against her and common assault against her sister Emma.
Chris Daw KC, defending Giggs, said his client was 'deeply relieved the prosecution has finally come to an end after almost three years in which he's been fighting throughout to clear his name,' adding: 'He has always been innocent of these charges - there's been very, very many lies told about him in court.'
The case began to fall apart in May, when Ms Greville said she did not want to testify due to the effects of the process on her 'mental and physical well-being.'
Lawyers for Giggs said he 'did not buy' her reasoning, insisting the prosecution was put off by new information uncovered by the defence, including a cosmetic procedure to have lip fillers on or around the day of the alleged headbutt - several days before she was pictured with apparently swollen and bruised lips as a result of the alleged attack.
Giggs' barrister said his client was 'looking forward to rebuilding his life and career as an innocent man'.
Jurors had failed to reach a verdict following an original, 11-day trial in 2022, after 22 hours and 59 minutes' deliberations. A retrial had been scheduled to begin on July 31.
The decision not to go ahead was revealed during the short pre-trial review hearing at Manchester Crown Court, with neither Giggs nor Ms Greville in attendance.
Peter Wright KC, prosecuting, said the original trial over the alleged assault at Giggs' home in November 2020 was 'a process that has taken its toll' on PR consultant Ms Greville and her sister.
He said Ms Greville had 'indicated an unwillingness' to give evidence in a re-trial as doing so in the first had 'taken its toll' on her and her sister.
Mr Wright said: 'This is not a decision taken lightly.'
He said there was no realistic prospect of conviction on count one, that of coercive and controlling behaviour, and it was no longer in the public interest to proceed to prosecute on the other charges of assault on Ms Greville and her sister.
He added: 'That being the case, we formally offer no evidence on counts one, two and three.'
Judge Hilary Manley replied: 'I formally enter not guilty verdicts in respect of those counts.'