There are no other words that can be used to describe this player other than "Genius". I know the word "Legend" has been used too often these days and we really can't say it's overused for such a player of this calibre.
I was discussing with a friend a few days ago here and I told him about the story I read regarding Paul Scholes. Moratti, the then owner of Inter Milan said he approached Paul Scholes with the hope of luring him away from Manchester United and Paul wouldn't budge. Paul Scholes simply told him he would have to buy Manchester United for him to play for him. What a guy and what a loyal person too.
These days, loyalty can be bought with just a few million pounds but for this guy, loyalty was everything. We have seen how players move to bitter rivals to play. I would never have imagined a day where Michael Owen would actually play for Manchester United and then clinched a late winner for us in Manchester Derby. Paul Scholes held true to his conviction and seeing how good he was, you would say he was not only loyal but level headed too.
A friend shared with me on here a few days ago what Zidane said about Paul Scholes. He was asked how it feels to be the best player in the world as a midfielder and Zidane said he wouldn't know, they would have to ask Paul Scholes. Paul Scholes drew admiration from the best in the trade with his vision, accuracy and thumping strikes. He had the ability to control the midfield and dictate the tempo. He was a complete midfielder because he added goals to his trade. What a player he was.
There were reports and either Xavi or Iniesta confirmed that in their early days at the La Masia, they would ask them to study the footage of Paul Scholes so they can understand what is expected of a midfielder. Paul is a legend and he can't be praised enough. He comes through as a naturally shy person as he hardly talks much even on the pitch. He did his talking with his feet.
I read a report of the story shared by Cristiano Ronaldo about what happened between him and Paul Scholes in training. Ronaldo was bullish and he challenged Paul Scholes to a long-range strike and accuracy training. Ronaldo told Paul Scholes that he would strike the crossbar from a certain position and he did. Everyone admired what Ronaldo did but Paul Scholes decided to go one better. He went farther and told Ronaldo that he wasn't going to aim for the crossbar but the tree just outside the training ground. Lo and behold, from that sort of range, Paul Scholes did and then walked away, leaving Ronaldo and onlookers speechless.
He was really an important player so much that he came out of retirement in the 2012/2013 season, around January and by the end of the season, he was in contention for the player of the season, he was that good to have played just half a season and still make such a significant impact on Manchester United and even the Premier League.
He had 499 appearances for Manchester United scoring 107 goals with 55 assists to his name. He was a shining light in his playing days even though he was also known for rash challenges which would always get him sent off. He amassed 4 red cards and 97 yellow cards making him the 5th most yellow-carded player in the history of the Premier League. He scored, he tackles, he controls the midfield, dictate the tempo and is also an all-around midfielder. Despite these grey areas regarding his hard tackles and cards and being unlucky in World Cups with England, no one can take away his footballing credentials. He is an absolute legend and a joy to watch.
Salute to a legend with the name, Paul Scholes.
Cheers.
