After the Champions League Final whistle on Saturday (2011), Xavi, Messi, Pedro, Iniesta and Busquets all wanted to swap shirts with Scholes, so they drew straws and Iniesta won and got to swap with him. There is a lot of talk about him retiring so they were feeling like it could be the last time they play against him.
Also, the same story says that Busquets had hung on to the match ball and gave it to Scholes. For players like the 5 mentioned, and the esteem people hold them in, to take time out of their celebrations says a lot. It shows the class and humility of the Barca players for starters. But it also says a lot about the esteem that Scholes is held in amongst his peers and those who have played against him.
Xavi’s quote from a Guardian’s interview backs that up too:
Sid Lowe : Is Paul Scholes the English Xavi?
Xavi interrupts, almost bursting with enthusiasm: “Paul Scholes!? A role model. For me, and I really mean this, he’s the best central midfielder I’ve seen in the last 15, 20 years, the most complete. I have spoken with Xabi Alonso about this many times. Scholes is a spectacular player. He can play the final pass, he can score, he is strong, he never gets knocked off the ball and he doesn’t give possession away, vision, he has everything. If he had been Spanish then maybe he would have been valued more. Players really love him.”
Iniesta : “Rooney is one of the best players in the world and I love watching him play. But if you had to pick out only one, then for their history and for all that they have achieved it would have to be Paul Scholes or Ryan Giggs. They are two shining examples for any player.”
Lionel Messi on Paul Scholes : “At La Masia (Barcelona’s Academy) his name was mentioned a lot. He’s a teacher.”
Zinedine Zidane : “My toughest opponent? Scholes of Manchester. He is the complete midfielder.”
Zinedine Zidane : “Scholes is undoubtedly the best midfielder of his generation.”
Zinedine Zidane : “It’s only natural to want to select your best players and there is no doubt for me that Paul Scholes is still in a class of his own. He’s almost untouchable in what he does, I never tire of watching him play. You rarely come across the complete footballer, but Scholes is as close to it as you can get. One of my regrets is that the opportunity to play alongside him never presented itself during my career. He was an extremely tough opponent to play against. You didn’t get any time on the ball when he was around. He would close you down and make your life terribly uncomfortable. He is the type of player you want on your side, not in opposition because he could do so much damage. He is very gifted. He makes the game look easy because he’s so much natural ability.”
Ronaldinho : “I want to pass like him. Who taught him how to do that?“
Sir Alex Ferguson : “Very few players can do that, but Scholes is one of them – and I knew he was one of them. That’s why, without question, I think Paul Scholes is the best player in England. He’s got the best skills, the best brain. No one can match him.”
Sir Alex Ferguson : “He has an awareness of what’s happening around him on the edge of the box which is better than most players. As a kid he always had a knack of arriving in the penalty area just at the right time, but he’s proving just as effective from outside the box because he’s using his experience in the right way. It doesn’t matter who I am thinking about bringing into my midfield, Paul Scholes will be included, as he would in any side in the world.”
Sir Alex Ferguson gave evidence in court on behalf of one of his former trainees and listened to the prosecution barrister’s list of United’s top players.
“You’ve missed Paul Scholes – and he’s my best player!” Ferguson chided her.
Sir Alex Ferguson : “One of the greatest football brains Manchester United has ever had.”
Sir Alex Ferguson : “Gary Neville was having a piss one day, 45 yards away by a fence. Scholes sent a long ball and whacked him right in the arse.”
Jose Mourinho : “Scholes? Fantastic! Why isn’t he playing for England? It is crazy. Only in England. Scholes is a great, great player. So experienced and still, for me, one of the best in the world in midfield. Manchester United are lucky to have him.”
Marcello Lippi : “Paul Scholes would have been one of my first choices for putting together a great team – that goes to show how highly I have always rated him. Scholes is a player I have always liked, because he combines great talent and technical ability with mobility, determination and a superb shot. He is an all-round midfielder who possesses character and quality in abundance. In my opinion, he’s been one of the most important players for United under Sir Alex.”
Pep Guardiola : “Out of everyone at Manchester United, I would pick out Scholes – he is the best midfielder of his generation, I would have loved to have played alongside him.”
Arsene Wenger : “I believe Paul Scholes is still one of the greatest football players in England and his contribution to the success of Man United is absolutely huge. He did not get completely what he deserves as a player because he’s not a “media lion”. He’s not one who runs after the media to be in the papers. I respect that. Who would not want Paul Scholes in his team? He’s a fantastic player. When he has the ball at his feet and you’re a central defender you always have to be on your toes, because he can still today find anyone in the box, and he showed that against Newcastle United on Monday.”
George Best : “To be honest I think England have lost their best player. Certainly he’s the most consistent and naturally gifted player we’ve had for a long, long time.”
Thierry Henry : “Without any doubt the best player in the Premiership has to be Scholes. He knows how to do everything, and he is one who directs the way his team plays. On top of that, he has indestructible mental strength and he is a genuine competitor.”
Thierry Henry : “I can’t understand why Scholes has never won the Player of the Year Award. He should have won it long ago. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t seek the limelight like some of the other ‘stars’.”
Sir Bobby Charlton : “I am sorry for England because they don’t have any player like him. You can talk about others but there is no one else like him. He is the best technical player England has without any question. He could have had a lot more caps if he had carried on. And if I was the manager he would have ended up with more than I did – easy“
Sir Bobby Charlton : “He’s always so in control and pinpoint accurate with his passing – a beautiful player to watch.”
Sir Bobby Charlton : “Paul Scholes is my favourite player. He epitomises the spirit of Manchester United and everything that is good about football.”
Sir Bobby Charlton : “I have no hesitation in putting a name to the embodiment of all that I think is best about football. It’s Paul Scholes. Many great players have worn the shirt of Manchester United. Players I worshipped, then lost with my youth in Munich. Players like Denis Law and George Best who I enjoyed so much as team-mates and now, finally, players I have watched closely in the Alex Ferguson era. And in so many ways Scholes is my favourite. I love his nous and conviction that he will find a way to win, to make the killer pass or produce the decisive volley. When a game reaches a vital phase, these qualities seem to come out of his every pore. He’s always on the ball, always turning on goal. He’s always looking to bring other people into the action and if he loses possession you think he must be ill.”
Sir Bobby Charlton : “And all I can think of is what an absolute tragedy that we have to be without him – he is such a fantastic player, a beautiful player to watch – and we will miss him certainly at Manchester United. But I think more from the game’s point of view that he was just priceless – he had vision, he could see instantly where people were and I used to sometimes hear people gasp when he made a pass that was just so pinpoint. He’s just a fantastic player – a beautiful, beautiful footballer – and at Manchester United we’ve been very proud that he played for us for most of his career, for all of his career really, so I’m very disappointed in that respect but I love him as a person, he’s a great lad, and he will be remembered forever at Manchester United, there’s no question about that. And England – one of the things that maybe could have improved England was if he didn’t love his family so much, he wanted to stay with his family rather than keep travelling to England. But he’s a marvellous player and he’s a great person, I love him to bits and we are very proud and we’ll look after him for the rest of his career hopefully.”
Wayne Rooney : “He’s unbelievable – he’s one of the greatest of all time.”
Wayne Rooney : “He is definitely the best player I have played with. I tried to ask him what he was doing but you don’t get much out of him. He is a great player.”
David Beckham said that, among his teammates at Real Madrid, which included Zinedine Zidane, Raúl, Ronaldo, Luís Figo and Roberto Carlos, Scholes was the most admired opponent : “He’s always one of those people others talk about. Even playing at Real Madrid, the players always say to me ‘what’s he like’? They respect him as a footballer, and to have that respect from some of those players is great.”
Ryan Giggs : “I’d go for Scholesy as the club’s greatest ever player. I’ve seen him do things that no other player can do. The way he can control the tempo of games, and his range of passing, are both incredible. We’ve seen over the years that players just haven’t been able to get near him. And you can’t forget his goals either.”
Rio Ferdinand : “I can honestly say Paul is the best player in the England squad. For me he is the complete player.”
Rio Ferdinand : “For me, it’s Paul Scholes. He’ll do ridiculous things in training like say, “You see that tree over there?” – it’ll be 40 yards away – “I’m going to hit it”. And he’ll do it. Everyone at the club considers him the best.”
Rio Ferdinand : “Paul Scholes… the BEST player of his generation, loved every minute of playing football with him. Paul Scholes aka Sat Nav went from a scoring midfielder to a dictator of the game.”
Berbatov : “Nobody else in the world can play the way Scholes does. The passes he produces all over the field and the way he changes the game is brilliant. Every manager would like him. But luckily he is here and playing with us. Paul practices that all the time. When he has finished training he always goes out and shoots.”
Patrick Vieira : “The player in the Premiership I admire most? Easy – Scholes.”
Cesc Fabregas : “He is the one whose level I aspire to. He is the best player in the Premier League.”
Cesc Fabregas : “He is a very complete, spectacular footballer. He always fights for the ball and tries to lose his marker to help his team-mates either to defend or to have a shot on goal. For any football player in the Premiership, Scholes is a player you want to emulate. One player does not make a team but there is no doubt that the presence of some players add extra motivation and confidence. Scholes is a player with character and is capable of transmitting that mental strength to his team-mates. I would happily end my career with the medals that Scholes has. I am young and I hope that I will be able to surpass him but it is not going to be easy.”
Socrates : “Good enough to play for Brazil. I love to watch Scholes, to see him pass, the boy with the red hair and the red shirt.”
Veron while at Chelsea being asked in an interview who’s the best english player : “Paul Scholes.”
Edgar Davids : “I’m not the best, Paul Scholes is.”
Edgar Davids : “”Every one of us (midfielders) is just trying to become as good as him. Everyone can learn from Paul Scholes.”
Gerard Pique : “One of the best players I’ve ever seen in my life! Spectacular on training! Playing with him was a joy!“
Glenn Hoddle : “There isn’t a player of his mould anywhere else in the world.”
Terry Venables : “He’s the best one- or two-touch passer in the country. He sees the game unlike any other player.”
Alan Shearer : “If you ask footballers to pick out the player they most admire, so many of them will pick Paul Scholes. He can tackle, and his passing and shooting is of the highest level. He’s the most consistent and naturally gifted player we’ve had for a long, long time.”
Eidur Gudjohnsen : “I’m more an admirer of Paul Scholes than I am of Ronaldo. Ronaldo is a fantastic player, but he has 10 other great players around him every week…Scholes is one of the most complete footballers I’ve ever seen. His one-touch play is phenomenal. Whenever I have played against him, I never felt I could get close to him.”
Gordon Strachan : “Paul Scholes has been the best England midfield player for 30-odd years. You’d probably have to go back to Bobby Charlton to find someone who could do as much as Scholes. When the ball arrives at his feet he could tell you where every player on that pitch is at that moment. His awareness is superb.”
Tony Adams : “I really rate Paul Scholes, because he hasn’t got the high profile of many of the Manchester United players, he doesn’t get too much attention, but he is one very good player. He is an intelligent player, he works hard and he scores some great goals. He is not flamboyant and is a quiet lad off the pitch but he is a tremendous asset to Manchester United and to England. He has already got my vote as player of the year.”
Laurent Blanc : “Scholes is the best English player. Intelligence, technique, strength… all the attributes are there. At Manchester United I saw what he could do on the training field. Phew!“
Laurent Blanc : “I tell anyone who asks me – Scholes is the best English player.”
Gary Neville : “I wouldn’t swap Paul Scholes for anybody. He is quite simply the most complete footballer I have ever played with. He is the best.”
Gary Neville : “Paul Scholes is the best player I’ve ever played with. There’s talent in every part of his game.”
Phil Neville : “Paul, for me, is the best player in the England team. It worries teams. Speak to any other international team and they will single Paul out as England’s key player. For me, he doesn’t get the full credit that he deserves. He is a world-class player and deserves to be up there with the likes of Zidane and Figo.”
Steve Bruce : “He’s the best player in Britain in my opinion and he has to get himself fit just before we are due to play at Old Trafford. I cannot pay Paul a bigger compliment than to say that he’s the most complete footballer in the country. The best bar none.”
Roy Keane : “An amazingly gifted player who remained an unaffected human being.”
Nani : “He’s the best midfielder I’ve ever seen. He can pass, score goals with his left, right, his head – he can do anything. And he can beat a player too, plus he loves to nutmeg you! He’s unbelievable.”
Brian Kidd : “Paul Scholes had the best football brain I’d ever seen in a kid. Let’s face it. Paul Scholes is in a class of its own.”
Sam Allardyce : “There is not a better midfield player in the world.”
Kevin Keegan : “What United have got that Chelsea haven’t is Paul Scholes. I think he is different to anything else in English football.”
Ray Wilkins : “I’m saddened because I think we as spectators, not only in this country but right through out Europe and the rest of the World, will be missing one hell of a footballer.”
Ian Holloway : “When he passes the ball it stays passed. The ball goes exactly where he wants it to. I have always loved him for that. I played against him once or twice and he is an absolute genius. He is a role model for anyone who wants to play football. He is a joy to watch. In fact, I wish he was 21, then I could see his career all over again.”
Alan Hanson : “He is one of the top three to five players to have ever played in the Premier League – his passing, movement and technique set examples to everyone, not just younger players.”
Xabi Alonso : “I’ve still got Paul Scholes’ shirt at home, which I swapped with him once. When I was at Liverpool he was one of the players I liked most. Maybe he’s not valued as much as he should be in England because of the style of football there and because he keeps a low profile. Perhaps he would have been more valued in Spain, where midfielders like him form part of the ‘ideal’. He certainly has the talent to have adapted to Spain – or Italy, or Germany, or France. Fans in Spain rate him very highly and I admire him a huge amount.”
Joey Barton : “Best I’ve ever played against by a mile. Most technically gifted player in english history. Legend!“
Giuseppe Rossi : “One of the greats in his position has retired. Was an honor playing with Paul Scholes. Respect for a legend.”
Park Ji Sung when asked by the club’s official home page which United player he would like to see in the red shirt of the Taeguk Warriors (South Korean national team): “It has to be Paul Scholes.”
Peter Schmeichel : “People say he is a great player, but you have to define what a great player is, For me, it is a player who has a bottom level that means his worst performance is not noticed.If he is having a bad game, a team-mate might feel Paul Scholes is not quite on his game, but a spectator wouldn’t notice. Scholes, of all the players I have played with, has the highest bottom level. His reading of the game is unsurpassed.He has an eye for a pass, for what the play or the game needs at that precise moment, that I have never seen anyone else have. He controls and distributes the play and the game better than anyone I have ever seen.”
Peter Schmeichel : “Still the best player in that United midfield.”
Jack Wilshere : “Sad to hear Paul Scholes is retiring, what a player! Top class and a great role model for any young English midfield player!“
Michael Carrick : “Paul Scholes is just fantastic. When you play alongside him, you realise what a special talent he is.”
Michael Carrick : “He is a legend and he’s going to be remembered for a long time. Just to play alongside him and learn from him has been an absolute pleasure. I think he is a footballer’s footballer; he has been at this level for so long. As long as he is part of us we always feel we have a chance. We appreciate the way he goes about his business. I have never met a character like Scholesy; certainly not someone who is that good.“
Micah Richards : “He’s always in the right position, always seems to be at the end of the box when the ball drops in. The complete midfielder – when he’s fit, he’s the best. Some go missing but he’s in the right place at the right time. He’s my favourite player of all-time, unbelievable. If you give him a chance it’s a goal, isn’t it?“
Eamon Dunphy : “Paul Scholes, one of the greatest midfielders ever. Top class professional. Kids should learn alot from him from all around the world.”
* * * * * * * * * *
Paul Scholes is an English football player who has spent his whole career at Manchester United.
With his distinctive head of ginger hair (he is sometimes referred to as “The Ginger Prince”) Paul Scholes has been one of the most influential players at Manchester United for the last decade and a key component in United’s success during this period. He is an attacking midfielder par excellence. He scores vital goals at vital times, and he times his runs into the box as well as any midfielder playing the game today. Scholes has often been described as the most natural finisher at United during his time there, but he also possesses a thunderous shot that has led to many spectaclular long-range goals. United fans frequently sing (to the tune of Kumbaya) “Paul Scholes, he scores goals” during matches. He is also known for his extremely erratic tackling. This dubious facet of his game has seen him booked and occasionally sent off in numerous important matches, as he invariably plays the man and not the ball.
Salford-born Scholes joined Manchester United as a trainee on leaving school in the summer of 1991 and in his first season guided the club to victory in the F.A. Youth Cup. He did not make his breakthrough into the Old Trafford team until the 1994-95 season, when he made 17 league appearances and scored five goals. The 20-year-old Scholes proved himself to be a promising understudy for the likes of Eric Cantona and Andy Cole. In the F.A. Cup final he twice came close to scoring goals which would have seen United and not Everton win the F.A. Cup.
Scholes was unable to secure a regular first team place until the 1997-98 season, when he played in midfield after the ninth game when Roy Keane was ruled out by injury. He had already made his England debut the previous summer in a 2-1 friendly win over South Africa at Old Trafford, and was part of the England squad for the 1998 World Cup.
In 1998-99, Scholes was a key player in Manchester United’s Premiership title, F.A. Cup and UEFA Champions League “Treble” success. He scored one of United’s two goals against Newcastle in the F.A. Cup final but was ruled out of the Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich through suspension, brought about by a yellow card received in the semi-final away tie against Juventus. He also managed a hat-trick for England in a game against Poland.
Since then, Paul Scholes has established himself as an excellent midfielder at both club and international levels but announced his retirement from international football in August 2004, stating that club football was of the utmost priority and that he vowed to excel with the team that had seen the highs and lows of English football with him, though part of the reason could have been him being asked to play on the left for England during Euro 2004, which was not suited to his free-flowing, passing and penetrating game. England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson revealed that he repeatedly tried to coax Scholes out of international retirement but was rebuffed each time. Most observers now agree he has been one of the most exciting midfielders in the modern game. He is also considered as one of the greatest midfielders of all time for England and Manchester United by many. He has averaged double digits in goals scored per season for his whole career and is well equipped in his heading too, despite being only 1.7m tall.
Paul Scholes has confirmed his retirement in May 2011 after 17 seasons with Manchester United FC, but will remain at Old Trafford in a coaching role.
Scholes, who ended his international career in 2004 after winning 66 England caps, made 676 appearances for Manchester United, his only club in an illustrious career. His cameo in Saturday’s UEFA Champions League final defeat by FC Barcelona was his third in the showpiece of Europe’s premier club competition. He was part of the side that defeated Chelsea FC in the 2008 decider and has 2 Champions League, 10 Premier League titles, 3 FA Cups, 1 FIFA Club World Cup and 1 Intercontinental Cup to his name amongst many other personal accolades.
“What more can I say about Paul Scholes that I haven’t said before,” said his manager throughout, Sir Alex Ferguson. “We are going to miss a truly unbelievable player. Paul has always been fully committed to this club and I am delighted he will be joining the coaching staff from next season.”
Scholes, 36, added: “To have had such a long and successful career at Manchester United has been a real honour. This was not a decision I have taken lightly but I feel now is the right time for me to stop playing. Most of all I would like to thank Sir Alex for being such a great manager. From the day I joined the club his door has always been open and I know this team will go on to win many more trophies under his leadership.”
