Former Manchester United defender Gordon McQueen has admitted that he is concerned Ryan Giggs will never return to the club if he leaves this summer.
Giggs has been at United in some capacity for almost 30 years, but his future at the club remains uncertain following the appointment of Jose Mourinho as manager last month.
Reports have suggested that the club's record appearance-maker will depart having been offered a downgrade from his role as Louis van Gaal's assistant last season, and McQueen fears that it could be the last they see of the 42-year-old.
"I cannot see him leaving to return at a later date. I fear that once he's gone, he's not coming back. There have been a lot of former United players who have left to learn their trade elsewhere, but how many come back? Very few. Bryan Robson a few years back did a good job at Middlesbrough, and more recently there has been Steve Bruce and Mark Hughes, but they don't get the chance to return to Old Trafford," he told Goal.com.
"Brucey would have done the job easily, but he has also been overlooked so many times so I think that train has passed. They never go for these guys and I don't think they would go for Giggsy, either. I would have thought he would be treated like Sir Bobby Charlton and they would never let him out the door. Sir Bobby is a club icon, a father figure about the place, and Ryan could have done the same, but he will not get the chance.
"His best bet is to get a good club with a good chairman in the Championship. I cannot see him stepping into a Premier League job at another club. He will be putting his reputation on the line and the Championship is very unforgiving. The amount of time they give managers in that division is shocking. As we have seen with Steve Bruce, even if you are ultra-successful at the level, there is little chance of being considered for the top jobs."
Giggs has previously outlined his desire to move into management himself.
Barney Corkhill
