Was Made To Feel Different Because Of Race – Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs has spoken about how he was made to feel “different” because of his mixed-race heritage after moving from Wales to England as a child. The Wales manager, 46, also said he had “no [...]
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Ryan Giggs has spoken about how he was made to feel “different” because of his mixed-race heritage after moving from Wales to England as a child.
The Wales manager, 46, also said he had “no hesitation” in taking the knee to support the “important message” of the Black Lives Matter movement at recent international games.
Giggs spoke about his experiences to former Wales rugby International Richard Parks for ITV Wales programme Can I Be Welsh And Black?, looking at the significance of ethnicity in today’s Wales.
The former Manchester United winger said he was “immensely proud” of his mixed background, with his father, former rugby player Danny Wilson, being black, and his mother, Lynne Giggs, being white.
The family moved to Manchester from Cardiff when Giggs was seven after his father signed for rugby league side Swinton.
Asked about the first time he was made to feel “different” because of his race, Giggs said:
“I didn’t experience anything in Cardiff. I was seven, so I can’t remember a lot before that. It wasn’t until I moved to Manchester.
“Where I lived, my dad was very well known, because he was such a good player. He was probably the best player in the team in that town.
“As you can guess, to look at me, you wouldn’t think my dad was black.
“But obviously everyone knowing that was my dad, and my dad quite clearly being black, that’s really when I sort of experienced the first time. Which was a bit weird, because I’d never experienced that before.”
