RYAN Giggs’ long-suffering wife Stacey decided to end their marriage after hearing he was flirting with waitresses at a restaurant he owns.
A source said the rumour was the last straw for Stacey, 37, after her efforts to keep the marriage going in the wake of the Manchester United legend’s affairs with TV’s Imogen Thomas and his brother’s wife Natasha.
The source added: “Word got back to Stacey that Ryan had been flirting with some of the waitresses at his restaurant George’s and she’s had enough.
“At one stage she is said to have told him to pack his bags and get out.
“But for the moment they both still seem to be living in the same house. She is upset to say the least and feels very alone.”
Friends yesterday said Stacey and United assistant manager Giggs split three months ago but kept it secret and have both remained in the marital home.
One said: “They have stayed in the house as it is so big and because of the children.
“But it is over and has been for some time.
“They are not together any more and it is definitely the case that Stacey wants to divorce Ryan.”
Giggs, 42, is also said to have confided in pals: “It’s over for good.” Friends said the couple tried to save their eight-year marriage after the revelation of his affairs for the sake of their two children.
But after months of soul-searching they decided to part.
A source said: “Both Ryan and Stacey promised to make a fresh start and that’s what they did. They became great friends again and were getting on really well.
“They wanted it to work for each other but also for their son and daughter who are the most important thing in their lives.
“They both dote on the kids and made a real effort to get back on track. But about a year ago it all started to cool a bit and the marriage has not recovered.
“The reality was that time hasn’t exactly proved a great healer.
“In the early days, once the flak over Natasha and Imogen Thomas passed over, Ryan and Stacey began building bridges and it looked really good for them.
“But, as bizarre as it sounds, once they were out of the limelight and things had quietened down, their relationship started to struggle.
“Stacey obviously has trust issues after what happened with the affairs and that caused problems. And Ryan has now said to people he thinks the marriage is all over and that there is no saving it.
“He has put a lot of effort into saving the marriage but now seems to have given up.
“Perhaps there had been too much water under the bridge.”
Giggs is said to have admitted during a chat at his restaurant that his marital situation was grim.
A source said: “Someone at George’s asked him how things were going with Stacey. He simply replied, ‘Not good, not good at all.’ It was obvious he didn’t want to talk about it.
“The other week one of Stacey’s relatives was on holiday with a friend and said, ‘It’s over. They’re separating’.”
When one of Stacey’s brothers was asked about the split he said yesterday: “It’s not something we want to talk about.”
It is not thought Stacey has begun divorce proceedings yet. Giggs and Stacey’s relationship began in 2002. Their daughter Liberty Beau was born the next year.
They had son Zachary in 2006 and the next year Giggs and Stacey married.
But behind the scenes he was having an affair with younger brother Rhodri’s wife Natasha — and had been doing so since 2003.
Giggs’ squeaky clean image was shattered in June 2011 when Natasha told of their eight-year affair. Natasha revealed Giggs got her pregnant and gave her £500 in cash for an abortion.
She said: “I was to blame for what happened but I was at his beck and call.
“It went on for eight years and I learned to live with the lies and the guilt.”
At the time of her revelation Giggs was being named online as the mystery footballer who had an affair with Big Brother star Imogen Thomas.
He spent £150,000 on an injunction to gag Imogen and The Sun, before giving up his anonymity in February 2012 after a lengthy legal battle.
The cracks in the couple’s marriage were evident in November when Stacey was absent at United’s annual charity gala dinner for UNICEF. All the other players turned up with their partners at the black tie event and posed for photographs. But Giggs cut a lonely figure by himself.
He and Stacey also appeared distant while hosting a New Year’s Eve party at their £4million mansion in Worsley, Greater Manchester.
A guest said: “They invited friends and business staff round to celebrate the New Year.
“It wasn’t a star-studded event as no footballers attended.
“Ryan and Stacey were both there but Ryan spent a lot of time on the phone.
“He seemed a bit down which is unlike him because he loves a party and often cracks out his Elvis impression.
“Ryan and Stacey barely spoke to each other.”
Giggs is the the most decorated player in football history. He has won 13 Premier League medals, four FA Cups, three League Cups, two Champions Leagues, a World Club Cup, Intercontinental Cup, Uefa Super Cup and nine FA Community Shields. He was the first player to win the PFA Young Player of the Year award consecutively — in 1992 and 1993.
Giggs was appointed player-coach at Manchester United in July 2013 under Sir Alex’s Ferguson’s managerial successor David Moyes.
After Moyes was sacked in April 2014, Giggs took over as interim player-manager.
When Louis van Gaal became manager in May 2014, Giggs was made his assistant.
He was tipped to succeed Van Gaal but ex-Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is now the favourite.
Model and the sis in law
MARCH 2003: Ryan meets his future sister-in-law Natasha Lever in a Manchester nightclub.
APRIL 2003: Ryan and Stacey Cooke have their first child Liberty Beau.
MAY 2003: Star’s younger brother Rhodri starts dating Natasha.
OCTOBER 2006: Ryan and Stacey’ssecond child Zachary Joseph is born.
SEPTEMBER 2007: Ryan marries Stacey in a private ceremony.
SEPTEMBER 2010: Rhodri weds Natasha. In the same month Ryan starts a six-month affair with Welsh model Imogen Thomas.
APRIL 2011: Ryan and Natasha sleep together for the final time after an eight-year affair. The Sun runs a story with the headline Footie Star’s Affair with Big Bro Imogen.
MAY 2011: Twitter users out Ryan as the footballer having an affair with Imogen despite him obtaining a gagging order in England and Wales.
The order has no force in Scotland so the Sunday Herald publishes a photo of Ryan on its front page with the word “censored” across his eyes.
Lib Dem MP John Hemming uses parliamentary privilege to disclose Ryan had obtained the injunction.
JUNE 2011: Natasha confesses to Rhodri that she had eight-year affair with Ryan.
DECEMBER 2011: She tells The Sun of “risky” sex sessions with Ryan but says they became “seedy”. She also admits she wants Rhodri back.
JANUARY 2012: Natasha goes on Celeb Big Brother and talks about the affair.
APRIL 2013: She files for divorce from Rhodri and gives birth to a son with a new partner.
APRIL 2015: Ryan apologises to Rhodri for the first time over the affair.
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