Paul Scholes (born 16 November 1974) is an Englishfootball pundit, coach and former player. Widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time, Scholes spent hisentire professional playing career withManchester United, for whom he scored over 150 goals in more than 700 appearances between 1993 and 2013. Scholes won 25 trophies, including 11Premier League titles (more than any other English player), threeFA Cups and twoUEFA Champions League titles.[2][3] He is renowned for his technical skills, accurate passing, intelligent movement, powerful shooting from long range and goal-scoring ability.[4][5][6]
Scholes came through the Manchester United academy as one ofFergie's Fledglings, a group of players recruited by the club under the management ofAlex Ferguson. He made his full debut in the1994–95 season. He went on to make 718 appearances for the club, thethird-highest number of appearances by any player. He announced his retirement from playing in May 2011 and was appointed as a coach at Manchester United. He returned to playing in January 2012, and played one more season for the club before retiring again in May 2013.[7][8]
Scholes represented theEngland national team from 1997 to 2004, gaining 66caps and participating in the1998 and2002FIFA World Cups, as well as the 2000 and2004UEFA European Championships. He announced his retirement from international football in August 2004, citing his family life and his club career with Manchester United as being more important.[9]
Scholes' first managerial position was atOldham Athletic, for 31 days in February and March 2019. In 2020, he had a short spell as interim manager of Salford City.
Paul Scholes was born on 16 November 1974 inSalford, Greater Manchester.[10] He is of Irish and Northern Irish descent.[11] On his mother's side, his grandmother came from Ireland, while his grandfather was from Northern Ireland.[12] The family moved toLangley, Greater Manchester, when he was 18 months old, where he lived on Bowness Road and Talkin Drive.[13] He attended the St Mary's RC Primary School in Langley. The first team he played for was Langley Furrow. Scholes also excelled at cricket. At age 14, he began training withManchester United.[14] He later joined as a trainee upon leaving theCardinal Langley Roman Catholic High School inMiddleton during the summer of 1991.[13] In his final term at school, he was selected to represent Great Britain National Schools in football.[citation needed]
Scholes was a member of the Manchester United youth team that reached the final of theFA Youth Cup in the 1992–93 season, alongsidePhil Neville.[15] Scholes turned professional on 23 July 1993 but did not make his breakthrough into the senior squad until the1994–95 season, when he made seventeen league appearances and scored five goals.[citation needed]
His debut came on 21 September 1994, where he scored both goals in a 2–1 victory overPort Vale in theLeague Cup. His league debut came three days later againstIpswich Town atPortman Road, a game which United lost 3–2 and Scholes scored a consolation goal. He scored two league goals when he came on 10 December when United beatQueens Park Rangers 3–2 atLoftus Road. On 3 January 1995, he got onto the scoresheet atOld Trafford for the first time with the opener in a 2–0 league win overCoventry City. He scored once more that season, in a 3–2 away win over Coventry City on 1 May.[16] Scholes came on as a substitute in the1995 FA Cup final againstEverton, which United lost 1–0.[citation needed]
In the1995–96 season, afterMark Hughes moved toChelsea, Scholes had more first-team opportunities, standing in for the suspendedEric Cantona asAndy Cole's strike partner for the first two months of the season. Scholes scored 14 goals in all competitions as United became the first English team to win the double twice. He picked up another Premier League medal in the1996–97 season.[citation needed]
AfterRoy Keane suffered a knee injury in late September 1997 and was ruled out for the rest of the season, Scholes was made a central midfielder in the1997–98 season.[17] United finished the season without a major trophy, only the second time in the 1990s that this happened.[18]
In the1998–99 season, Scholes was a key player in Manchester United'sPremier League title,FA Cup, andUEFA Champions Leaguetreble success. He scored one of Manchester United's two goals against Newcastle in the FA Cup final. He also scored an away goal againstInter Milan in the Champions Leaguequarter-final. He came on as a substitute in the second leg of the semi-final againstJuventus[19] asAlex Ferguson opted for Nicky Butt in the starting line-up. He picked up a yellow card which ruled him out of the final victory overBayern Munich through suspension.[20]
During the 1999–2000 season, Scholes scored one of the finest goals of his career againstBradford City on 25 March 2000. David Beckham took a corner directly to Scholes, who was standing on the edge of the area, who volleyed it in overDwight Yorke, who was forced to duck.[21] A week later, Scholes scored the firsthat-trick of his United career againstWest Ham United in a 7–1 victory that put United ten points clear.[22]
During the2001–02 transfer window, United completed the signing of Argentine internationalJuan Sebastián Verón.[23] To accommodate Scholes and Verón, Ferguson persisted with the 4–4–1–1 formation, with Scholes playing at the withdrawn striker role behindRuud van Nistelrooy, as Roy Keane and Verón played in central midfield.[24] In European away fixtures, Scholes was often played in central midfield alongside Verón as Keane anchored.[25]
Scholes netted a career-high 20 goals in all competitions in the 2002–03 season, including a hat-trick in a 6–2 win against Newcastle.[26] a number that dipped to fourteen the next year. This was despite a career-best four FA Cup goals, in comparison to his total of five FA Cup goals scored in his first nine seasons.[citation needed]
Scholes was ruled out for the second half of the2005–06 season with blurred vision.[30] The cause of this was initially uncertain, sparking fears that it could end his career.[31] He overcame this problem through the beginning of the year and he appeared in United's final game of the season againstCharlton Athletic.[32]
On 22 October 2006, in the 2–0 victory overLiverpool, Scholes became the ninth United player to play in 500 matches, joiningBobby Charlton,Bill Foulkes and Ryan Giggs.[33] Scholes experienced one of his finest seasons in 2006–07,[34] and was included in thePFA Team of the Year,[35] and was shortlisted for thePFA Players' Player of the Year.[36] One of his finest performances of the season came in a 4–1 win against Blackburn Rovers, where United were 1–0 down but Scholes "got hold of the game by the scruff of the neck" and scored the equalising goal.[37][38] On 3 March 2007, in a 1–0 victory over Liverpool atAnfield, Scholes was dismissed for swinging an arm atXabi Alonso;John O'Shea scored the winning goal in injury time.[39] It marked his first league sending off since April 2005.[40] A month later, he was sent off in the first leg of United's Champions League quarter-final atRoma.[citation needed]
Scholes suffered knee ligament damage during a training session the night before United's Champions League Group F match withDynamo Kyiv on 23 October 2007, and was out of action until the end of January 2008.[41] He returned as a substitute in United's 3–1 win overTottenham Hotspur in the fourth round of theFA Cup. On 23 April 2008, Scholes made his 100th Champions League appearance in a 0–0 draw away toBarcelona in the semi-final first leg, and scored the only goal from 25 yards in a 1–0 victory in the second leg that sent United into thefinal.[42] During the final against Chelsea, he suffered an injury and received ayellow card after a clash withClaude Makélélé. He was substituted in the 87th minute and did not take part in the penalty shoot-out, which United won 6–5 after drawing 1–1 after extra time.[43] In the2008 UEFA Super Cup againstZenit Saint Petersburg, Scholes was sent off after he received a second yellow card for a deliberate handball.[44]
Scholes was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in September 2008.[45] On 22 April 2009, he made his 600th appearance for United in a 2–0 win overPortsmouth.[46]
On 16 February 2010, Scholes scored his third Champions League goal of the season againstAC Milan in a 3–2 win, which was also United's first away goal against Milan. This gave United their first away win over Milan and also made Scholes the first player to score against both Inter Milan and AC Milan at theSan Siro in the Champions League.[47] The goal against Milan was Scholes' 25th Champions League goal in total, and, with 25 goals to his name, Scholes is the highest goal-scoring central midfielder in Champions League history.[48]
On 6 March 2010, Scholes became the 19th player in Premier League history to score 100 goals, and also the third United player after Ryan Giggs andWayne Rooney to do so, in the2009–10 Premier League season, with the only goal in a 1–0 away win overWolverhampton Wanderers.[49][50] On 16 April 2010, Scholes signed a new one-year contract with United, keeping him at the club until the end of the2010–11 season.[51]
Scholes began the 2010–11 season strongly, displayingman of the match performances against Chelsea in the2010 Community Shield on 8 August[52] and eight days later in the opening fixture of thenew league campaign against Newcastle United as he assisted two goals in a 3–0 home victory.[53] Scholes scored his 150th goal for United in a 2–2 away draw againstFulham on 22 August,[54] and was also awarded thePremier League Player of the Month for August 2010.[55] In April 2011, Scholes was sent off for a high challenge onPablo Zabaleta in the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City, which United went on to lose 1–0.[56]
On 28 May 2011, Scholes came on as a substitute during United's 3–1 defeat to Barcelona in theChampions League final. Three days later, he announced his retirement with immediate effect, and joined the club's coaching staff.[57] On 5 August, United held atestimonial match to honour his 17 years of service to the club. The match was played at Old Trafford againstNew York Cosmos.[58][59] United won the match 6–0, with Scholes opening the scoring with a shot from 25 yards, in front of a sell out 74,731 crowd.[citation needed]
Having been training with United's reserve team, Scholes' desire to play football returned and he approached Alex Ferguson and assistant managerMike Phelan with a view to coming out of retirement, possibly for another club if they declined to have him back at United. However, the club had been going through an injury crisis in midfield, and, on 8 January 2012, Scholes made his comeback as a substitute in a 3–2 win overneighbours Manchester City in the2011–12 FA Cup.[60]
Scholes made his first start in the next game againstBolton Wanderers, where he scored his first goal since returning in a 3–0 victory at Old Trafford, converting a Wayne Rooney pass. This meant he had scored at least one goal in every season in the Premier League since1994–95.[61] He scored his second goal since coming back in a 2–1 away win againstNorwich City on 26 February, heading home a cross fromNani.[62] On 8 April, he scored in a 2–0 win against Queens Park Rangers at Old Trafford, helping United to go eight points clear of rivals Manchester City in the Premier League.[63]
On 30 May, Scholes signed a one-year extension with Manchester United, keeping him at the club until summer 2013.[64][65] He marked his 700th appearance for Manchester United by scoring in a 4–0 win at home toWigan Athletic on 15 September 2012.[66] This goal meant that he had scored in his 19th consecutive Premier League season, a feat only surpassed by teammate Ryan Giggs, who holds the record of 21 consecutive seasons.[67]
On 11 May 2013, Scholes announced that he would make his second and final retirement from football at the end of the season.[68] Scholes made his 499th and final professional league appearance on 19 May 2013 againstWest Bromwich Albion as a substitute. During the game, Scholes earned his 97th Premier League yellow card, at the time the third most in the history of the Premier League behindLee Bowyer (102) andKevin Davies (101).[69]
In August 2018, Scholes briefly came out of retirement from football at the age of 43 and played a match for his son Arron's team, Royton Town of theManchester Football League Premier Division, againstStockport Georgians. Royton lost the fixture 1–0.[70] Scholes made two further appearances for Royton Town, once against Poulton in theLancashire FA Amateur Shield,[71] and in the reverse league fixture against Stockport Georgians.[72]
His international career continued after England's elimination from the World Cup byArgentina after a penalty shoot-out in the first knock-out round. On 27 March 1999, Scholes managed a hat-trick for England in a game againstPoland. In addition, Scholes scored both goals in England's 2–0 win atHampden Park overScotland in theUEFA Euro 2000 play-off first leg, sealing a 2–1 aggregate win and qualification for the finals tournament. In a qualifier againstSweden that June, Scholes became the first and last England player to be sent off in an international match at the oldWembley Stadium.[14]
With the turn of the century, Scholes became a prominent player in England's midfield, becoming a first-choice selection for the2002 World Cup. Immediately prior to Euro 2004, however, Scholes was played out of position on the left midfield to accommodate the pairing ofSteven Gerrard andFrank Lampard in central midfield, starting on the left for the last five matches of his international career.[76] Scholes announced his retirement from international football in August 2004, citing his family life and his club career with Manchester United as being more important.[9]
Following the departure of England managerSven-Göran Eriksson in 2006, there was speculation regarding Scholes making himself available for international duty again under new managerSteve McClaren. In October 2006, McClaren said that he had personally asked Scholes twice to rejoin England, but Scholes declined.[77] In May 2010, McClaren's successorFabio Capello approached Scholes about a return to international football in the run-up to the2010 World Cup, but Scholes again rejected the offer, saying he would prefer to spend time with his family.[78] On 7 June 2010, Scholes stated that if Capello had given him more time and asked earlier, he would have probably taken the opportunity.[79] On 27 July, Scholes expressed his disappointment in not taking the opportunity to play at another World Cup, saying he may have made a mistake.[80]
Scholes was highly regarded for his technical skills, and renowned for his accurate passing, intelligent movement and powerful shooting from long range. Though he played mostly as astriker in his youth and early professional career, Scholes matured into a well-rounded, tenacious, and versatileplaymaker capable of playing in anymidfield position, often alternating betweendefensive,offensive,wide and playmaking roles, due to his stamina, vision, work-rate, and positional sense. Scholes was renowned for his late attacking runs and ability to combine with teammates, as well as an excellent capacity to read the game and control the tempo of play, which enabled him to function in adeep-seated creative role as well as in abox-to-box role in thecentre of the pitch. He played in the centre for much of the earlier part of his career, while he was instead deployed in a deeper role in the later part of his career. Scholes possessed an extraordinary range of passing and frequently initiated dangerous attacking plays after winning back possession.[81][82]
In an interview withFourFourTwo, Scholes admitted to not being blessed with notable pace or dribbling skills, and attributed his calmness and ability to retain possession under pressure to having a sharp brain, excellent awareness, and good link-up play.[83][84][85] He was also used in a moreadvanced creative role on occasion, as adeep-lying forward behind an out-and-out striker.[24] At international level, he was also occasionally used out of position on theleft flank.[76]
Scholes received criticism for his discipline, particularly regarding his tackling, which was questioned as frequently inept by multiple pundits, fans and Scholes himself.[86][87] In addition, the potential for malicious intent in some of his tackles was raised,[88] and it has been suggested that he escaped greater censure due to the admiration that many have for the rest of his game.[89] Arsenal managerArsène Wenger criticised Scholes' tackling, stating, "For me he was not a fair player. There's a little bit of a darker side in him, sometimes, that I did not like. I respect him highly as a quality player but I did not like some things he did on the football pitch."[90] Scholes said in an interview that he was not a bad tackler, but that, "If someone got me early in the game, it was always in the back of my mind that I needed to get them back", and suggested that the bookings he received towards the end of his career were influenced by his reputation.[91]
In November 2004,[109] when former Brazil midfielder and captainSócrates was asked for his views on the English game he replied, "...I think of Paul Scholes. He's good enough to play for Brazil. I love to watch Scholes, to see him pass..."[110] Former England midfielder and Manchester United captain SirBobby Charlton commented, "Paul is always so in control and pin-point accurate with his passing – a beautiful player to watch."[111]
When former Real Madrid midfielder and France captainZinedine Zidane was asked who was his toughest opponent, he replied, "Scholes of Manchester. He is the complete midfielder. Scholes is undoubtedly the greatest midfielder of his generation."[93] In 2009, Barcelona forward and France captain, and former Arsenal captainThierry Henry said, "Without any doubt the best player in the Premiership has to be Paul Scholes. He knows how to do everything, and he is the one who directs the way his team plays. On top of that, he has indestructible mental strength, and he is a genuine competitor."[93]
Several former teammates including Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville and Wayne Rooney have revealed his nickname in the Manchester United dressing room was 'SatNav' (an abbreviation of Satellite Navigation) due to the accuracy of his long-range passing.[112]
In February 2011, Barcelona and Spain midfielderXavi rated him as the best player in his position in the past two decades commenting, "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... He's spectacular, he has it all: the last pass, goals, he's strong, he doesn't lose the ball, vision. If he'd been Spanish he might have been rated more highly."[113] Former Juventus midfielder and Italy captainAndrea Pirlo selected him as the only English player in his dream Champions League XI and commented, "You could see every pass, every decision, was based on his intelligence and understanding."[114]
In February 2011, Manchester United teammateRyan Giggs hailed him Manchester United's greatest ever player and commented, "The way he can control the tempo of games, and his range of passing, are both incredible."[115] Former Manchester United teammateCarlos Tevez described Scholes as the best passer whom he had ever played alongside,[116] and former England and United strikerMichael Owen remarked "Nobody on this planet had a range of passing like Paul Scholes."[98] Former Denmark goalkeeper and another former United teammatePeter Schmeichel commented, "His reading of the game is unsurpassed."[94][92]
In May 2008, Italy and former Juventus managerMarcello Lippi commented, "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."[92] In August 2010, BBC football pundit and former Liverpool defenderAlan Hansen described him as "one of the top three to five players to have ever played in the Premier League", and commented, "His passing, movement and technique set examples to everyone."[117] In May 2011, Barcelona managerPep Guardiola described him as "the best midfielder of his generation".[118] In August 2017, England manager and Scholes' former England teammateGareth Southgate said, "You've got very good players and then there are top players. In my time in the England setup,Paul Gascoigne, Paul Scholes and [Wayne] Rooney just had that little bit more than all the others. And we are talking high‑level people there, players likeSteven Gerrard,Frank Lampard andDavid Beckham."[119]
The former head of Manchester United's youth teamEric Harrison commented, "his positional sense is second to none and he knows what's around him before he receives the ball. Paul has no great pace or power, but he makes up for that with his reading of the game, his awareness and his superb touch."[92] Former Manchester United manager SirAlex Ferguson called him "one of the greatest football brains Manchester United has ever had".[94][120]
Many, including Scholes' national teammates, have said that he was one of the few English players capable of "pulling the strings" in midfield, controlling the tempo, reading and dictating the flow of the game, and distributing the play where England often have been criticized for being nervous on the ball and giving away possession.[121][122]
Having previously informally helped out Nicky Butt with the Manchester United under-19 team during the first half of the 2013–14 season, Scholes agreed to join the United first-team coaching staff on a temporary basis after the dismissal ofDavid Moyes until the end of the season as a favour to friend and former teammate Ryan Giggs,[131] following the latter's appointment as interim player-manager on 23 April 2014.[citation needed]
In January 2015, Scholes and Phil Neville werecaretaker managers of Salford for a 2–1 win overKendal Town, between the dismissal ofPhil Power and appointment of Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley.[132]
On 19 November 2017, Scholes and his old teammate, Ryan Giggs, were invited to join in training works forPVF Football Academy in Vietnam. WithRyan Giggs, who was chosen to be a development director, Scholes worked as a technical advisor.[citation needed]
On 11 February 2019, Scholes was appointed as manager ofLeague Two clubOldham Athletic,[133] having been cleared to take the position by theEnglish Football League in light of his ownership of Salford City.[134] On 14 March, Scholes resigned as manager, having won one of his seven games in charge,[135] following interference from club owner Abdallah Lemsagam in first-team affairs.[136]
On 12 October 2020, Scholes was appointed interim head coach of Salford City, following the departure ofGraham Alexander.[137] Scholes' first game in charge was a 1–0 defeat to Port Vale on 17 October,[138] and he quickly ruled out taking the position on a permanent basis, citing the need for a more experienced manager.[139] His first win came three days later with a 3–0 win against strugglingSouthend United.[140] Scholes left the role on 4 November, following the permanent appointment ofRichie Wellens to the post.[141]
In July 2014, Scholes became a pundit after signing a four-year deal withBT Sport.[142] He would also be featuring onITV's coverage of Champions League and England internationals.[143][144] Scholes previously made an appearance forSky Sports as a pundit during the 2013–14 season.[145] In August, he agreed to become a columnist forThe Independent.[146] Scholes has been praised for his passionate and no nonsense style of punditry.[147]
Scholes has endorsed sportswear companyNike and appeared in Nike commercials. In a global Nike advertising campaign in the run-up to the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan, he starred in a "Secret Tournament" commercial (branded "Scorpion KO") directed byTerry Gilliam, appearing alongside football players such as Thierry Henry,Ronaldo, Edgar Davids,Fabio Cannavaro,Francesco Totti,Ronaldinho,Luís Figo andHidetoshi Nakata, with former player Eric Cantona the tournament "referee".[150][151]
Along with other United players who won the 1992 FA Youth Cup, Scholes has proposed a university in Greater Manchester, namedUniversity Academy 92, which would offer "broader courses than traditional degrees" and attract students who "otherwise might not go on to higher education".[152]
His off-field personality is said by some to be in stark contrast to the attitude of the stereotypical professional footballer.[159][160] In an interview given beforeEuro 2004, Scholes described his ideal day as "train in the morning, pick up my children from school, play with them, have tea, put them to bed and then watch a bit of TV".[161]
Roy Keane once highlighted that Scholes did not like the "celebrity bullshit" side of professional sports.[162] With regard to his shunning of celebrity, and instead keeping to his intention to solely focus on doing his job ("a professional footballer"), Keane applauded Scholes after his retirement.[162]
Scholes is known to enjoy betting on football. In June 2019, he was fined and warned over his future conduct byThe Football Association (FA) after placing bets worth £26,159 on matches during his time as a director of Salford City. At a tribunal, he was found to have placed 140 bets over three and a half years, in contravention of the FA's gambling rules. The FA fined Scholes £8,000 and asked him to contribute to the costs of the tribunal.[163]
^Winter, Henry (22 October 2001)."United aim for right balance".The Daily Telegraph. London.Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved23 August 2012.
^Ogden, Mark (27 November 2014)."Interview with Ryan Giggs".The Daily Telegraph.Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved7 December 2014.
^Stone, Simon (15 March 2019)."Paul Scholes quits Oldham: 'Sadness at what might have been'".BBC Sport. Retrieved15 March 2019.Unfortunately it became clear that I would not be able to operate as intended and was led to believe prior to taking on the role.
^Fletcher, Paul (8 August 2010)."Chelsea 1–3 Man Utd".BBC Sport. Retrieved23 March 2024.
^"United crowned kings of Europe".BBC News. 26 May 1999. Retrieved23 March 2024. Ogden, Mark (24 July 2008)."Family guy Scholes set for two-year Old Trafford swansong".The Guardian. London. Retrieved23 March 2024.When Scholes does finally walk away from United, he will emerge with two Champions League winners' medals to his name – one from Barcelona, the other from Moscow. Scholes received the first while wearing his suit in the Nou Camp thanks to a suspension, however, so he admits that the second, won in the Russian capital in May, is the only one that matters.
.jpg)
