Paul Scholes

Lore & Background

Scholes came through the Manchester United academy as one of Fergie's Fledglings. He made his full debut in the 1994–95 season. He went on to make 718 appearances for the club, the third-highest number of appearances by any player. He announced his retirement from playing in May 2011 and was appointed as a coach at Manchester United. He returned to playing in January 2012, and played one more season for the club before retiring again in May 2013. Scholes represented the England national team from 1997 to 2004, gaining 66 caps and participating in the 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cups, as well as the 2000 and 2004 UEFA European Championships. He announced his retirement from international football in August 2004. Scholes' first managerial position was at Oldham Athletic, for 31 days in February and March 2019. In 2020, he had a short spell as interim manager of Salford City.

In Their Own Story

The floodlights at Old Trafford hummed their low electric note. Third division of the Premier League, midweek, a Tuesday in February when the wind off the Irwell made the ball sit heavy in the air. Scholes received it on the left of the box, back to goal, a centre-back already closing. He didn't turn. Didn't feint. Just lifted his head, found the pocket of space behind the full-back three yards out, and struck the ball with the inside of his left boot. It floated, dipped, and was there — a one-touch pass that had crossed forty yards of grass in under a second. The winger ran onto it as if it had been placed on a platter. In the stands, a thousand fans who had watched him do this four hundred times before still leaned forward in their seats, still felt that small, irrational jolt. The Scholes pass. You could study it, diagram it, explain the geometry. You could not replicate the ease with which it left his foot, as though the ball had simply decided to go where he wanted it to go.

Reader's Guide

Scholes turned professional on 23 July 1993. His debut came on 21 September 1994, where he scored both goals in a 2–1 victory over Port Vale in the League Cup. His league debut came three days later against Ipswich Town at Portman Road, a game which United lost 3–2 and Scholes scored a consolation goal. He scored 14 goals in all competitions in the 1995–96 season as United won the double. In the 1998–99 season, he was a key player in United's treble success, scoring in the FA Cup final and earning a yellow card in the Champions League semi-final that ruled him out of the final. He scored a career-high 20 goals in all competitions in the 2002–03 season. He scored the winning goal in the 2003–04 FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal and played in the final which United won 3–0 against Millwall. He was ruled out for the second half of the 2005–06 season with blurred vision. On 22 October 2006, he became the ninth United player to play in 500 matches. He scored the only goal in the 1–0 Champions League semi-final second leg against Barcelona in 2008, sending United into the final, which they won. He made his 600th appearance for United on 22 April 2009.

Did You Know?

• Scholes was born in Salford, Greater Manchester, and is of Irish and Northern Irish descent.
• He attended St Mary's RC Primary School in Langley and later Cardinal Langley Roman Catholic High School in Middleton.
• He excelled at cricket as a child.
• He was selected to represent Great Britain National Schools in football in his final term at school.
• He was a member of the Manchester United youth team that reached the FA Youth Cup final in the 1992–93 season.