Den främste engelske spelaren i sin generation och en av engelsk fotbolls allra bästa spelare under mer än 15 långa år har till sist bestämt sig för att lägga fotbollsskorna på hyllan.
Paul Scholes, the ginger ninja.
10 Premier League-titlar, 2 Champions League-titlar, 3 FA-cuptitlar och Ligacuptitlar, 1 VM för klubblag under totalt 20 år i klubben och mer än 650 matcher för Man Utds a-lag. 14 mål på 66 landskamper innan han på eget bevåg tackade nej till fortsatt landslagsspel 2004.
Stenhårda långskott, stilfulla avslutningar, finurliga soloräder, de små instickens Tom Waits och den långa precisa passningens Springsteen, ett effektivt huvudspel och otagbara volleykanoner. Han debuterade mot Port Vale 1994 och avslutade sin karriär på Wembley 2011.
En levande fotbollsikon.
https://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/may/31/paul-scholes-retires-manchester-united
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Röster om Paul Scholes
“My toughest opponent? Scholes of Manchester. He is the complete midfielder.” – Zinedine Zidane
“I’m not the best, Paul Scholes is.” – Edgar Davids, på toppen av sin karriär.
“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
“An amazingly gifted player who remained an unaffected human being.” – Roy Keane
“I have no hesitation in putting a name to the embodiment of all that I think is best about football. It’s Paul Scholes. Players like Denis Law and George Best who I enjoyed so much as team-mates and now, finally, players I have watched closely in the Alex Ferguson era. And in so many ways Scholes is my favourite. I love his nous and conviction that he will find a way to win, to make the killer pass or produce the decisive volley.” – Sir Bobby Charlton
“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
“England have lost their best player.” – George Best, efter att Scholes slutat i landslaget.
“For me, it’s Paul Scholes. 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
“Paul Scholes has been the best England midfield player for 30-odd years. You’d probably have to go back to Bobby Charlton to find someone who could do as much as Scholes. When the ball arrives at his feet he could tell you where every player on that pitch is at that moment. His awareness is superb.” – Gordon Strachan
“That’s why, without question, I think Paul Scholes is the best player in England. He’s got the best skills, the best brain. No one can match him.” – Sir Alex Ferguson
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-united/8547825/Manchester-Uniteds-Paul-Scholes-lauded-by-players-and-coaches-around-the-world-after-announcing-retirement.html
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Pablo Zabaleta kommer förmodligen för alltid vara mest känd som den siste spelaren att drabbas av en “feltajmad” Paul Scholes-tackling.
Okej, let’s face it, det här med att tacklas var kanske inte riktigt Scholes grej. Men å andra sidan så var det nog rätt många smällar han delade ut medvetet också.
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Paul Scholes testimonial kommer att spelas i augusti. Scholes själv kommer att bli en del utav Man Utds coachstab och kommer arbeta med att utveckla unga spelare för Man Utds framtid.
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Be Champions!!