Premier League
/ Ralph Ellis / 30 May 2011 / Leave a Comment
Goodbye, Scholesy?
"In an age when footballers courted the bright lights of fame and celebrity, Scholes never did."
Whispers from Manchester say Scholes will call time on his career once the Manchester United victory parade is done, and the champions will struggle to find another like him, says Ralph Ellis
Ask any Manchester United star of the last two decades the question: "who was the best you played with?" - and they always come back with the same answer: Paul Scholes.
Even the older guys who shared the dressing room with Eric Cantona will say so. And the younger ones are simply in awe of the man they say sets the standard in training every day.
He's the man they've always wanted in their five-a-side side - especially if it was two-touch. Get it, give it. And he's been the key cog in the proper team too. When any game got tough it was Scholes who would put his foot in to boss the midfield, who would take the ball under pressure, who would hit the killing pass, who would make the juddering tackle. Very often he'd come up with the spectacular goal too - the volley from David Beckham's corner against Bradford in 2000 should be on anybody's list of best ever Premier League strikes.
My best memory of him was in an England shirt, back in Le Tournoi in 1997. It was the rehearsal competition for the World Cup the following year, and on a warm night in Nantes he and Beckham ran the game to give Glenn Hoddle his country's first win over Italy in 20 years. Late in the evening, when everybody had gone home, a couple of us reporters wandered downstairs and ended up in the Italian dressing room. Among the discarded socks and towels stood a flip chart with England's formation, and the name spelt: "Skoles". They might not have known him before that night, but they certainly did afterwards. And none of England's opponents among his 66 caps could afford to ignore him either.
In an age when footballers courted the bright lights of fame and celebrity, he never did. There would be the occasional, reluctant interview when he could no longer dodge the fact it was his turn to speak to a press conference. He only ever spoke sense, then politely retreated to his own world where his boots did all the talking for him, and spoke far more eloquently. He's never had an agent, never wanted to put himself on show.
Sadly it seems today that the Scholes era is over. There's nothing official yet, but word on Manchester is that today's open top bus ride will see him waving farewell. Saturday night's Champions League final might have confirmed Lionel Messi as the greatest current player on the planet. It's also being said that it was a night that reminded the 36-year-old that after 676 games in 17 seasons in a Manchester United shirt he could no longer reach the standards he has always set himself. The 14 minutes after he replaced Michael Carrick simply passed him by, as Messi, Xavi and Iniesta continued to weave their perfect patterns.
United have offered him another contract. Sir Alex wants him to stay around to go on influencing the younger players. And the old management maestro may yet have his way - he normally does. But reliable reports are saying that Scholes has told family and friends it's time to hang up the boots. They say he doesn't want to be just a bit part player. And just as he walked away from England when Sven Goran Eriksson only wanted to use him to fill in for others, he won't be frightened to turn his back on Old Trafford too.
For United, beaten in Europe but already installed as [3.0] favourites for next year's Premier League, it will be a serious loss. Ryan Giggs might also be coming to the end of his amazing era, but a new signing like Aston Villa's Ashley Young could simply deliver younger, fresher legs to the same role and before long he won't be missed. But nobody - well possibly apart from Messi and they aren't going to get him - will be able to reproduce the impact that Scholes has had both on and off the pitch.
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