Genius! Artist! Poet!
The nonchalance he showed in his sheer control of the ball. He added beautiful to ‘the beautiful game’ for me. I am talking about Paul Scholes. A lot of great players have plied their trade for Manchester United. It is after all, one of the most successful clubs in the history of football and more so the recent history. Scholes stands head and shoulders above everyone for me.
Once one starts understanding the game of football beyond the flashy stepovers, you see that it is not the kid with the gelled up hair that stands out, it is the backbone that makes him do so. It is the commander pulling the strings and constantly toying with the opposition in his own way. This way is not as noticeable as much, but it is what makes him my favourite United player to put on the famous red shirt. It is not often that almost everyone in the football fraternity respects you. Here are a few quotes about Paul
Here are a few quotes about Paul Scholes :
My toughest opponent? Scholes of Manchester. He is the complete midfielder.”
– Zinedine Zidane
“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.”
– Pep Guardiola
“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’.”
– Thierry Henry
“In the last 15 to 20 years the best central midfielder that I have seen — the most complete — is Scholes. I have spoken with Xabi Alonso about this many times. Scholes is a spectacular player who has everything. 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. If he had been Spanish then maybe he would have been valued more.”
– Xavi
“The truly great English midfield player of the generation. Didn’t just play the game, he thought about the game. You could see every pass, every decision, was based on his intelligence and understanding.”
– Pirlo
“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
Some of these players and managers are well known to people, and some like Xavi are probably one of the greatest midfielders to grace the game, so why do they admire Paul Scholes so much? The intelligence as Pirlo puts it. A player doesn’t have to be scoring 20+ goals a season or a defender getting 15+ clean sheets for his team. What makes the team tick? Paul Scholes! An absolute thunderous right foot he had. He simply cannot be compared to the likes of Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard. They were very different players and in my opinion, there is no point comparing them. Each had their impact on their respective teams. Who had it most? I think it was Paul Scholes who controlled the game, kept the ball ticking and always could switch the game with a cross field ball by pinging it right to the winger’s feet getting his team out of trouble.
At the age of 33 he was scoring a screamer against a formidable Barcelona team and getting Manchester United into the finals of the Champions League after missing the treble winning final in’99. Not many ‘Golden Oldies’ can say that. He was so good that he was actually bad for Manchester United. Trust me, it is the truth. He came back from retirement and still bossed midfields while the young guns at United like Paul Pogba who has clubs licking his heels for his signature waiting and eventually whining. A player of such a mould that United have not found his successor and I don’t think they ever will. The only player that comes to my mind is Toni Kroos without the rash tackling which I absolutely loved about Paul. He would let you know he was there, and he was not all about beauty. If you listen to his friends ( Class of ’92 ), he was quite the mischievous one. I have been lucky to have grown up watching Paul Scholes. His belters always made me scream loudest and his long balls always made me watch in awe.
There is a reason why almost everyone admired him. Why, Xavi, Iniesta and other Barcelona players were vying for his shirt like fans after defeating his team in the 2011 Champions League final. Football is not just a sport. It is an art if you are that good. Very few players I have seen can be the perfect artists of the beautiful green canvas laid infront of them. Some like Lionel Messi, Andrea Pirlo, Paul Scholes, Zinedine Zidane, Xavi, Iniesta and Dennis Bergkamp ( well some more ) . Manchester United will never see another one like him. Football might not see another one like him. The man who made me fall in love with football. The one who is a master of his trade. The one who is above all for me.
“At La Masia, his name was mentioned a lot. He’s a teacher.”
- Lionel Messi
Paul Scholes he scores goals.
Football isn’t as fun without you Paul.
Treat your eyes to some of Paul Scholes here :