At some point he must have been crowned king, but typically of the man, he didn’t make a fuss. Paul Scholes, Manchester United’s Ginger Prince, formally announced his retirement today, aged 36. One of the few English footballers to excel technically on the highest level, Scholes was an extremely rare breed in this country, and sadly underappreciated for the national side, where the more modest creative talents of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard were preferred.
It was telling that Fabio Capello tried to tempt him out of retirement before last summer’s World Cup, but his disappointing decision to stop playing for England at the age of 29 was justified at a time when England’s answer to Xavi Hernandez could only be accommodated on the left-wing. José Mourinho said of Scholes last summer: “Why is this player not in the national team? It is crazy. Only in England.” Not for the first time, the Special One demonstrated a flair for the aperçu about our national game, where skill and vision find themselves way beneath power and drive on the list of priorities.
Mourinho wasn’t the only man to have lavished praise on United’s unassuming schemer, with the great Zinedine Zidane even more effusive in his evaluation: “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.”
Zidane was right when he said that Scholes was close, but not quite complete. He could spot and hit a pass, he could beat players, he could strike a ball from distance, time a run into the box, and he could even head the ball; but never could he tackle. Every hero needs an Achilles heel, and Scholes’s was often so ugly it’s a miracle no-one suffered serious injury as a result. The unedifying flaw was readily excused during his career and will be forgotten just as readily now he’s hung up his boots, and for the sake of a positive outlook on a great player I’ll be doing the same today. Here are five of the best Paul Scholes moments:
1. The Wright ball: England vs Italy, Paris 1997
I mentioned above about Scholes’s technical talents, but as well as the ability to play a pass, he was in possession of something far rarer. Paul Gascoigne had it before him and Jack Wilshere may yet prove to have inherited it, that unteachable football quality: vision. In this clip, England face Italy in Le Tournoi, a precursor to the 1998 World Cup in Paris. Scholes picks the ball up in his own half, neatly turns away from Demetrio Albertini and then, with seemingly nothing on, creates a goal. Note the backspin which kills the ball just enough for Wright to have a straightforward finish.
2. A big game player: Manchester United vs Newcastle United, Wembley 1999
Scholes rarely got scrappy goals, but not all of his strikes were spectacular either; in fact, his 52nd minute strike in the 1999 FA Cup final was probably the archetypal Scholes goal. Meeting a Teddy Sheringham lay-off on the edge of the box, the midfielder timed his stride to perfection and struck a low shot into the corner to make it 2-0, setting United up for an historic treble.
3. “Unbelievable Paul Scholes”: Manchester City vs Manchester United, Eastlands 2010
As well as his talent on the deck, Scholes was an adept header of the ball in spite of his small stature. Headed goals were a feature of his England career, scoring memorable headers against Poland and Portugal in the qualifiers and finals of the Euro 2000 tournament, and he could do it for United too. The key for short players to score headers – as Michael Owen is also capable of doing – is to avoid challenging for them, and to instead seek the playerless space the ball could materialise within. With this derby – and the 2009-2010 title – ebbing desperately away from Manchester United, Scholes demonstrated this skill with devastating effect. His run into the box met Patrice Evra’s cross and a glancing header squeezed into the corner beyond Shay Given, giving United the points.
4. He can play a bit, too: Newcastle United vs Manchester United, St. James’s Park 2007
Four barren years without a Premier League title to their name, United finally restored order at the close of the 2006-2007 season when they edged out José Mourinho’s Chelsea. On New Year’s Day of that season, Manchester United visited Newcastle who shocked the title-chasers by taking an early lead, but two Scholes specials tipped the game in United’s favour. The home side eventually came back to draw, but the 32-year-old proved he still had the skills to bamboozle Premier League defences with some gloriously neat footwork and an accurate stabbed finish for his first goal. Tidy play, but not the best goal he’d score that fortnight.
5. The stunning volley: Aston Villa vs Manchester United, Villa Park 2006
Just nine days earlier, United had won convincingly at Villa Park, vanquishing Martin O’Neill’s side 3-0. Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace in a marvelous individual display, but the real moment of inspiration came from 30 yards out, from Paul Scholes. An astonishing first-time volley, after a half-cleared corner, was probably the best of a number of long-range masterclasses. Scholes was lethal from that range and proved so against Bradford City, against Middlesbrough, and even more impressively against Barcelona to seal a place in the 2009 Champions League final. Neutral fans can be sorry to see the back of Scholes; goalkeepers, midfielders and defenders throughout Europe can breathe a sigh of relief for varying reasons.
