RYAN Giggs “idolised” the cocker spaniel puppy that he bought during his relationship with PR executive Kate Greville, a court heard.

His ex-girlfriend’s sister, Emma, was looking after Mac the dog on the night the former Manchester United footballer is alleged to have assaulted both women at his house in Worsley.

Weeks before the incident on November 1 2020, all three travelled to Scotland to view Mac along with two of Giggs’ friends.

Giggs, 48, went on to buy the puppy and later drove up with his son to collect the animal, Manchester Crown Court was told.

Chris Daw QC, representing the former Wales manager, asked Emma Greville: “Is it right that she (Kate) is very keen and was keen at the time to claim that dog as her own?”

She replied: “It was bought for her.”

Mr Daw said: “Were you aware that Ryan and his two children were very fond of the dog?”

“Of course,” she said.

She agreed she knew Giggs had paid for the dog, had registered, chipped and insured it all in his name.

Mr Daw went on: “Can you see that Mr Giggs and the children had some considerable interest in the dog, do you agree?”

Emma Greville replied: “Yes just as much as me and Kate. When both his daughter and son were at home he asked me to look after the dog as he didn’t trust them.

“I spent more time with that dog than Ryan and his children. I took the dog to the vet’s when it was poorly. I took the dog on walks, I did a lot with that dog.”

She told jurors her sister rang on November 1 to tell her to pack her belongings in the car, along with the puppy, after she had confronted Giggs during a hotel dinner about his “cheating”.

An argument over Mac started when Giggs followed Kate Greville, 38, back to his house, she said.

Emma Greville, 26, said at one point she saw her sister hugging the puppy in the hallway.

She told the court: “Ryan then said ‘say your goodbyes to the dog, you will never see him again’. It was in a snide manner, that he had the power, that he could keep the dog when he knew the dog was Kate’s.

“He said we were not allowed to take the dog with us.”

Later, Giggs’ next-door neighbour Linda Cheung told the court: “Ryan idolised that puppy.”

She said when the police left his address after midnight, she saw Kate Greville “running up and down the drive with Mac in her arms”.

Mrs Cheung said: “She was saying to the dog ‘you should be asleep, babe. This is not what we wanted’.”

The trial continues.