Paul Scholes retires!!!!

[felarey]

It's the end of an era. Kudos to Scholesy for a career well spent. One of those that trully played the game for the love of it. I'd miss Paul, like all good things, one day they must come to an end. Hope he gets a befitting testimonial. The master technician has retired.

[Dodo]

How did he get to be on Manchester United's coaching staff so fast? I wonder why they didn't extend such hands to Andy Cole or Dwight York...hmmmm!!

If you think it through properly you will find your answers, hey why limit it to those two why not add Paul Ince, Roy Keane, Eric Cantonna. My man Scholes played all his football with Manu from academy to retirement. It is called rewarding loyalty. As for Andy and Dwight you should know they were bought from other clubs, this is why history is good you know.

even apart from that, neither Andy or Dwight finished their careers at OT, G-Nev finished in Feb, he's not on the coaching staff

[YUJAM]

Let's not over-exaggerate the 'greatness' of Scholes too much. He was a very good player but not an all-time great. When the name of great midfield players are rattled off, Scholes will not be mentioned.

The English press love to make up stories.

[odi]

Let's not over-exaggerate the 'greatness' of Scholes too much. He was a very good player but not an all-time great. When the name of great midfield players are rattled off, Scholes will not be mentioned.

The English press love to make up stories.

Xavi and Iniesta, great midfield players themselves, totally disagree with you.

[Mr. Piffington]

An end of an era, he will really be missed. I remember those nasty shots he'd always score from.

[wiseone]

Here's what his fellow pros said about him (from ZZ, to Xavi, to Cesc to Pique, to a World Cup winning coach):

Manchester United's Paul Scholes lauded by players and coaches around the world after announcing retirement
Following Paul Scholes's confirmation he is retiring from football, players and managers from around the world have heaped praise on the Manchester United midfielder.

By Mark Ogden

1:40PM BST 31 May 2011

Xavi Hernandez: Paul Scholes is 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. I've spoken to Xabi Alonso about him. 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. Players love him.

Socrates (Brazil): Good enough to play for Brazil. I love to watch Scholes, to see him pass, the boy with the red hair and the red shirt.

Zinedine Zidane: My toughest opponent? Scholes of Manchester. He is the complete midfielder. Scholes is undoubtedly the greatest midfielder of his generation.

Marcello Lippi: Paul Scholes would have been one of my first choices for putting together a great team – that goes to show how highly I have always rated him. An all-round midfielder who possesses quality and character in abundance.

Laurent Blanc: I tell anyone who asks me – Scholes is the best English player.

Roy Keane: No celebrity bulls**t, no self-promotion – an amazingly gifted player who remained an unaffected human being.

Edgar Davids: Everyone of us should emulate him. We can all learn from Paul Scholes.

Cesc Fabregas: For any football player in the Premiership, Scholes is a player you want to emulate. One player does not make a team but there is no doubt that the presence of some players add extra motivation and confidence. Scholes is a player with character and is capable of transmitting that mental strength to his team-mates.

Rio Ferdinand: Paul Scholes retires from football ... the BEST player of his generation #fact loved every minute of playing football with him. . Paul Scholes aka Sat Nav went from a scoring midfielder to a dictator of the game (changed his game while still at top of the game). Going to miss training with him + his cold cutting + dry comments on the bike while warming up next to me on any1 who deserves it!

Jack Wilshere: Sad to hear Paul Scholes is retiring, what a player! Top class and a great role model for any young #English midfield player!

Gerard Pique: One of the best players I've ever seen in my life! Spectacular on training! Playing with him was a joy!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/footba ... ement.html

[marko]

Here's what his fellow pros said about him (from ZZ, to Xavi, to Cesc to Pique, to a World Cup winning coach):

Manchester United's Paul Scholes lauded by players and coaches around the world after announcing retirement
Following Paul Scholes's confirmation he is retiring from football, players and managers from around the world have heaped praise on the Manchester United midfielder.

By Mark Ogden

1:40PM BST 31 May 2011

Xavi Hernandez: Paul Scholes is 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. I've spoken to Xabi Alonso about him. 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. Players love him.

Socrates (Brazil): Good enough to play for Brazil. I love to watch Scholes, to see him pass, the boy with the red hair and the red shirt.

Zinedine Zidane: My toughest opponent? Scholes of Manchester. He is the complete midfielder. Scholes is undoubtedly the greatest midfielder of his generation.

Marcello Lippi: Paul Scholes would have been one of my first choices for putting together a great team – that goes to show how highly I have always rated him. An all-round midfielder who possesses quality and character in abundance.

Laurent Blanc: I tell anyone who asks me – Scholes is the best English player.

Roy Keane: No celebrity bulls**t, no self-promotion – an amazingly gifted player who remained an unaffected human being.

Edgar Davids: Everyone of us should emulate him. We can all learn from Paul Scholes.

Cesc Fabregas: For any football player in the Premiership, Scholes is a player you want to emulate. One player does not make a team but there is no doubt that the presence of some players add extra motivation and confidence. Scholes is a player with character and is capable of transmitting that mental strength to his team-mates.

Rio Ferdinand: Paul Scholes retires from football ... the BEST player of his generation #fact loved every minute of playing football with him. . Paul Scholes aka Sat Nav went from a scoring midfielder to a dictator of the game (changed his game while still at top of the game). Going to miss training with him + his cold cutting + dry comments on the bike while warming up next to me on any1 who deserves it!

Wayne Rooney: He will be missed greatly. He is definitely the best player I have played with. I tried to ask him what he was doing but you don't get much out of him. I didn't think it would come this quickly. Everyone will be sad to see him stop. He is a great player.

Gary Neville: Paul Scholes- The Best! Great Player, Person, Friend! New Song- Local Boy in The Photograph ... His Best Goals for me! Barca 08 Semi Bradford away Aston Villa away Go and watch them 3 all day!

Jack Wilshere: Sad to hear Paul Scholes is retiring, what a player! Top class and a great role model for any young #English midfield player!

Gerard Pique: One of the best players I've ever seen in my life! Spectacular on training! Playing with him was a joy!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/footba ... ement.html

nuff said, when you want to see out the game, Paul scholes was the man for the job!! they have a testimonial booked for august

[oloye]

Socrates (Brazil): Good enough to play for Brazil. I love to watch Scholes, to see him pass, the boy with the red hair and the red shirt.

Ehemmm where is txj to see this, ok ok let me not bother he would say Socrates was drunk on something . The problem is that some people take themselves too seriously on this forum.

[kalani]

To be fair you would seldom hear a footballer bad mouth a fellow professional.

[oloye]

To be fair you would seldom hear a footballer bad mouth a fellow professional.

Funny how we did not hear anyone praise the likes of Gary Neville like this when he retired. Yes players dont bad mouth fellow professionals, but then they dont hep praises on players who do not deserve it. The best place to hear about how good or bad a player is, comes from fellow professionals or the coaches.

[YUJAM]

Blah blah blah. He was OK guys. Let's not try to reinvent history. All the guys who were quoted are better than him

Here's what his fellow pros said about him (from ZZ, to Xavi, to Cesc to Pique, to a World Cup winning coach):

Manchester United's Paul Scholes lauded by players and coaches around the world after announcing retirement
Following Paul Scholes's confirmation he is retiring from football, players and managers from around the world have heaped praise on the Manchester United midfielder.

By Mark Ogden

1:40PM BST 31 May 2011

Xavi Hernandez: Paul Scholes is 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. I've spoken to Xabi Alonso about him. 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. Players love him.

Socrates (Brazil): Good enough to play for Brazil. I love to watch Scholes, to see him pass, the boy with the red hair and the red shirt.

Zinedine Zidane: My toughest opponent? Scholes of Manchester. He is the complete midfielder. Scholes is undoubtedly the greatest midfielder of his generation.

Marcello Lippi: Paul Scholes would have been one of my first choices for putting together a great team – that goes to show how highly I have always rated him. An all-round midfielder who possesses quality and character in abundance.

Laurent Blanc: I tell anyone who asks me – Scholes is the best English player.

Roy Keane: No celebrity bulls**t, no self-promotion – an amazingly gifted player who remained an unaffected human being.

Edgar Davids: Everyone of us should emulate him. We can all learn from Paul Scholes.

Cesc Fabregas: For any football player in the Premiership, Scholes is a player you want to emulate. One player does not make a team but there is no doubt that the presence of some players add extra motivation and confidence. Scholes is a player with character and is capable of transmitting that mental strength to his team-mates.

Rio Ferdinand: Paul Scholes retires from football ... the BEST player of his generation #fact loved every minute of playing football with him. . Paul Scholes aka Sat Nav went from a scoring midfielder to a dictator of the game (changed his game while still at top of the game). Going to miss training with him + his cold cutting + dry comments on the bike while warming up next to me on any1 who deserves it!

Jack Wilshere: Sad to hear Paul Scholes is retiring, what a player! Top class and a great role model for any young #English midfield player!

Gerard Pique: One of the best players I've ever seen in my life! Spectacular on training! Playing with him was a joy!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/footba ... ement.html

[kalani]

To be fair you would seldom hear a footballer bad mouth a fellow professional.

Funny how we did not hear anyone praise the likes of Gary Neville like this when he retired. Yes players dont bad mouth fellow professionals, but then they dont hep praises on players who do not deserve it. The best place to hear about how good or bad a player is, comes from fellow professionals or the coaches.

Haha! You know nobody likes Gary Neville though!

[Waffiman]

To be fair you would seldom hear a footballer bad mouth a fellow professional.

Funny how we did not hear anyone praise the likes of Gary Neville like this when he retired. Yes players dont bad mouth fellow professionals, but then they dont hep praises on players who do not deserve it. The best place to hear about how good or bad a player is, comes from fellow professionals or the coaches.

This is not an argument you can win or convince his detractor on my bro. However, if you use objective analysis, like the fact that he was omini-present in a Manure team that won everything, you cannot argue about how good the player is. I have read some say, he did nothing outside England, this is not correct, he won the CL.

Yes! The English exaggerate about their players but we also do the same. Scholes was a fantastic midfielder, IMO, he was a very good midfielder. He was neither the great Vieira who took midfield play in England to a level never seen before or seen since nor a Roy Keane. But we cannot take away the fact that he was one of great players of the last 15 years in England who delivered week in and out for his club. A Manure all time great.

[Robbynice]

Socrates (Brazil): Good enough to play for Brazil. I love to watch Scholes, to see him pass, the boy with the red hair and the red shirt.

Ehemmm where is txj to see this, ok ok let me not bother he would say Socrates was drunk on something . The problem is that some people take themselves too seriously on this forum.

You don't say...

Anyways me I will take Mr ATF opinion before I take that of Socrates. Afterall he knows and discuss "Football" of the forum...

[wiseone]

That's true but strangely I did not hear Zidane, Xavi and Lippi speak nostalgically about the day that Robbie Savage retired...

To be fair you would seldom hear a footballer bad mouth a fellow professional.

[Waffiman]

Yujam, it does not take away the fact that he was a fantastic player. Just give credit where it is due. The English do produce top players and occasionally the produce exceptional players like Scholes. I watched Scholes for year live, believe me, he can play. His football brain was second to none.

Blah blah blah. He was OK guys. Let's not try to reinvent history. All the guys who were quoted are better than him

Here's what his fellow pros said about him (from ZZ, to Xavi, to Cesc to Pique, to a World Cup winning coach):

Manchester United's Paul Scholes lauded by players and coaches around the world after announcing retirement
Following Paul Scholes's confirmation he is retiring from football, players and managers from around the world have heaped praise on the Manchester United midfielder.

By Mark Ogden

1:40PM BST 31 May 2011

Xavi Hernandez: Paul Scholes is 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. I've spoken to Xabi Alonso about him. 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. Players love him.

Socrates (Brazil): Good enough to play for Brazil. I love to watch Scholes, to see him pass, the boy with the red hair and the red shirt.

Zinedine Zidane: My toughest opponent? Scholes of Manchester. He is the complete midfielder. Scholes is undoubtedly the greatest midfielder of his generation.

Marcello Lippi: Paul Scholes would have been one of my first choices for putting together a great team – that goes to show how highly I have always rated him. An all-round midfielder who possesses quality and character in abundance.

Laurent Blanc: I tell anyone who asks me – Scholes is the best English player.

Roy Keane: No celebrity bulls**t, no self-promotion – an amazingly gifted player who remained an unaffected human being.

Edgar Davids: Everyone of us should emulate him. We can all learn from Paul Scholes.

Cesc Fabregas: For any football player in the Premiership, Scholes is a player you want to emulate. One player does not make a team but there is no doubt that the presence of some players add extra motivation and confidence. Scholes is a player with character and is capable of transmitting that mental strength to his team-mates.

Rio Ferdinand: Paul Scholes retires from football ... the BEST player of his generation #fact loved every minute of playing football with him. . Paul Scholes aka Sat Nav went from a scoring midfielder to a dictator of the game (changed his game while still at top of the game). Going to miss training with him + his cold cutting + dry comments on the bike while warming up next to me on any1 who deserves it!

Jack Wilshere: Sad to hear Paul Scholes is retiring, what a player! Top class and a great role model for any young #English midfield player!

Gerard Pique: One of the best players I've ever seen in my life! Spectacular on training! Playing with him was a joy!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/footba ... ement.html

[YUJAM]

I agree with you. He was very good but not a great like Socrates, Xavi, Iniesta or even Cesc at this age

Yujam, it does not take away the fact that he was a fantastic player. Just give credit where it is due. The English do produce top players and occasionally the produce exceptional players like Scholes. I watched Scholes for year live, believe me, he can play. His football brain was second to none.

Blah blah blah. He was OK guys. Let's not try to reinvent history. All the guys who were quoted are better than him

Here's what his fellow pros said about him (from ZZ, to Xavi, to Cesc to Pique, to a World Cup winning coach):

Manchester United's Paul Scholes lauded by players and coaches around the world after announcing retirement
Following Paul Scholes's confirmation he is retiring from football, players and managers from around the world have heaped praise on the Manchester United midfielder.

By Mark Ogden

1:40PM BST 31 May 2011

Xavi Hernandez: Paul Scholes is 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. I've spoken to Xabi Alonso about him. 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. Players love him.

Socrates (Brazil): Good enough to play for Brazil. I love to watch Scholes, to see him pass, the boy with the red hair and the red shirt.

Zinedine Zidane: My toughest opponent? Scholes of Manchester. He is the complete midfielder. Scholes is undoubtedly the greatest midfielder of his generation.

Marcello Lippi: Paul Scholes would have been one of my first choices for putting together a great team – that goes to show how highly I have always rated him. An all-round midfielder who possesses quality and character in abundance.

Laurent Blanc: I tell anyone who asks me – Scholes is the best English player.

Roy Keane: No celebrity bulls**t, no self-promotion – an amazingly gifted player who remained an unaffected human being.

Edgar Davids: Everyone of us should emulate him. We can all learn from Paul Scholes.

Cesc Fabregas: For any football player in the Premiership, Scholes is a player you want to emulate. One player does not make a team but there is no doubt that the presence of some players add extra motivation and confidence. Scholes is a player with character and is capable of transmitting that mental strength to his team-mates.

Rio Ferdinand: Paul Scholes retires from football ... the BEST player of his generation #fact loved every minute of playing football with him. . Paul Scholes aka Sat Nav went from a scoring midfielder to a dictator of the game (changed his game while still at top of the game). Going to miss training with him + his cold cutting + dry comments on the bike while warming up next to me on any1 who deserves it!

Jack Wilshere: Sad to hear Paul Scholes is retiring, what a player! Top class and a great role model for any young #English midfield player!

Gerard Pique: One of the best players I've ever seen in my life! Spectacular on training! Playing with him was a joy!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/footba ... ement.html

[F360]

To those going in on Scholesy on here and calling Xavi's comments "PC".
Apparently immediately after the game on Saturday, FIVE Barca players went straight for Scholes to get his shirt(I guess they had an inkling it would be his last game also). Not to Rooney, not to Giggs but to Scholes. Among them were Xavi and Iniesta but Iniesta won out and got Scholes' shirt.

I believe the Barca midfielders truly regard him as a special player and unlike many other English midfielders one could see him fitting in their midfield than say a Lampard or Stevie G.

[Player]

Abegi Paul Scholes is a baller any day any time, i used to fear him and Giggs anytime Arsenal played Manure back i nthose days...

[omey2k4]

To those going in on Scholesy on here and calling Xavi's comments "PC".
Apparently immediately after the game on Saturday, FIVE Barca players went straight for Scholes to get his shirt(I guess they had an inkling it would be his last game also). Not to Rooney, not to Giggs but to Scholes. Among them were Xavi and Iniesta but Iniesta won out and got Scholes' shirt.

I believe the Barca midfielders truly regard him as a special player and unlike many other English midfielders one could see him fitting in their midfield than say a Lampard or Stevie G.

When you have been on the field with a good player,peopel that sit down anad talk are useless and clueless.
Those guys watch him,they've played against him,Man-U has played Barca a whole lot int eh CL before today,peopel that are talkign probably just started watching football recently.
Txj is just looking for an arguement to sound different.

Zidane's comment shouldnt be the reason to respect Scholes,watch him play the game and respect the guy.Real footballers recognize real players.

[kalani]

To those going in on Scholesy on here and calling Xavi's comments "PC".
Apparently immediately after the game on Saturday, FIVE Barca players went straight for Scholes to get his shirt(I guess they had an inkling it would be his last game also). Not to Rooney, not to Giggs but to Scholes. Among them were Xavi and Iniesta but Iniesta won out and got Scholes' shirt.

I believe the Barca midfielders truly regard him as a special player and unlike many other English midfielders one could see him fitting in their midfield than say a Lampard or Stevie G.

I know my comment suggested PC ness, however I did acknowledge Scholes as one of the top players of the late 90s.

[wiseone]

Xavi has played against Scholes 4 times in the past 3 seasons alone, and Zidane played against him virtually every season in the mid-late 1990s (bc Man U had a habit of being continually drawn to play Juventus and Barcelona in the champions league).

The guys who spent time on the pitch chasing and kicking him should be in a good position to know how good he was.

[kalani]

Xavi has played against Scholes 4 times in the past 3 seasons alone, and Zidane played against him virtually every season in the mid-late 1990s (bc Man U had a habit of being continually drawn to play Juventus and Barcelona in the champions league).

The guys who spent time on the pitch chasing and kicking him should be in a good position to know how good he was.

[/video]