Arjen Robben: "I am a big admirer of Paul Scholes."

Cristiano Ronaldo: “Scholes is the best i’ve played with and he helped me a lot when I was young. He’s amazing.”

Xabi Alonso: "When I was at Liverpool he was one of the players I liked most. Fans in Spain rate him very highly and I admire him a huge amount."

Eidur Gudjohnsen: "Scholes is one of the most complete footballers I've ever seen. His one-touch play is phenomenal. Whenever I have played against him, I never felt I could get close to him."

Edgar Davids: "I'm not the best, Paul Scholes is."

Pep Guardiola: “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.”

Cesc Fàbregas: "He is the one whose level I aspire to. He is the best player in the Premier League."

Patrick Vieira: "The player in the Premiership I admire most? Easy - Scholes."

Andrés Iniesta: Paul Scholes is a living legend. He’s played a great number of games, broken records, won titles and furthermore proved in every game he’s a great professional. He is a shining example for any player.”

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. Scholes is a player I have always liked, because he combines great talent and technical ability with mobility, determination and a superb shot. He is an all-round midfielder who possesses character and quality in abundance. In my opinion, he's been one of the most important players for United under Sir Alex."

Laurent Blanc: "Scholes is the best English player. Intelligence, technique, strength... all the attributes are there."

Lionel Messi: “At La Masia (Barcelona’s Academy) his name was mentioned a lot. He’s a teacher.”

David Beckham: "He's always one of those people others talk about. Even playing at Real Madrid, the players always say to me 'what's he like'? They respect him as a footballer, and to have that respect from some of those players is great."

Luis Figo: "I’m star-struck when I see Paul Scholes because you never see him. On the pitch you can’t catch him. Off the pitch he disappears."

Brian Kidd: "Paul Scholes had the best football brain I'd ever seen in a kid. Let's face it. Paul Scholes is in a class of its own."

Roy Keane: "An amazingly gifted player who remained an unaffected human being. Scholesy is just the model professional. I remember whenever we’re playing in Europe at half-time there are players running to get his shirt. That just goes to show how highly he’s thought of on the continent. He’s a master."

Sir Bobby Charlton: "Paul Scholes is my favourite player. He epitomises the spirit of Manchester United and everything that is good about football."

"Many great players have worn the shirt of Manchester United. Players I worshipped, then lost with my youth in Munich. 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. When a game reaches a vital phase, these qualities seem to come out of his every pore. He's always on the ball, always turning on goal. He's always looking to bring other people into the action and if he loses possession you think he must be ill."

Glenn Hoddle: "There isn’t a player of his mould anywhere else in the world."

Thierry Henry: "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'."

Peter Schmeichel: "People say he is a great player, but you have to define what a great player is, For me, it is a player who has a bottom level that means his worst performance is not noticed.If he is having a bad game, a team-mate might feel Paul Scholes is not quite on his game, but a spectator wouldn't notice. Scholes, of all the players I have played with, has the highest bottom level. His reading of the game is unsurpassed.He has an eye for a pass, for what the play or the game needs at that precise moment, that I have never seen anyone else have. He controls and distributes the play and the game better than anyone I have ever seen."

Sir Alex Ferguson: "He's one of the great players to come through the ranks here. In my time he would sit in the top six or seven [United players] without question. His contribution and his quality and some of the fantastic goals he has scored have been great. He could have played in any league in Europe - no problem"

Xavi: "Paul Scholes! 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."

The greatest midfielder of all time and my favourite player of all time.

Even though those players showed him great respect, I still feel he is under appreciated. He should have been top 3 in all awards imo. At his peak, there was no midfieilder close to him.

His vision was second to none, his movement in the center and up front, his shooting skill, his goals. His bad tackles were an indication that he is actually human lol.

I love his off field presence, his shy and humble demeanor. A true professional and a great role model.

I love him!

Best MF I have seen in my life. He dictated the tempo, he was our only creativbe player and he scored goals. For me he is Xavi and Iniesta minus Busquets (the tackles...hehe rolled into one)

jibers wrote:Best MF I have seen in my life. He dictated the tempo, he was our only creativbe player and he scored goals. For me he is Xavi and Iniesta minus Busquets (the tackles...hehe rolled into one)

Yep. He is basically both those players + goals. Lethal combination.

Seeing Young with number 18 is starting to sink in now and it just feels very weird when I see him out there with it.

legend, I don't think a lot of people knew really how special he was, because he just went about it his business and wasn't signing endorsement deals and appearing in big commercials. those around the game knew he was a special player but I think many fans don't

B-Mac MUFC wrote:legend, I don't think a lot of people knew really how special he was, because he just went about it his business and wasn't signing endorsement deals and appearing in big commercials. those around the game knew he was a special player but I think many fans don't

Off topic: Post 666

loved watching him... amazing player.

There is a reason he's Bobby Charlton's favourite.

What a player he was.

Scholes was a true legend of the game. I think he stood out from the crowd in a way, because he was the exception to a rule. That rule is the general rule within English football that you need height, physical presence and power to make the top of the game.

Scholes was not incredible in any of these departments, but he had the technical ability that many English players could only dream of. His passing was simply superb.

Also, he deserves to be recognised for his attitude off the field as well. It's clear that he wasn't someone who wanted to hog the spotlight. He wasn't in it for the fame or the money. He was well and truly someone who simply loved to play the game of football.

ronaldo__9 wrote:There is a reason he's Bobby Charlton's favourite.

What a player he was.

Oh, sorry to go slightly off topic (not really off topic as im still talking about a utd player that played centre mid), but charltons "favourite" was duncan edwards. Until his sad death at a young age he was on a similar career path to maradona and pele in the sense that he was already an important player for his team by the age of 17

Scholsey was one of the best players of this season in spite of being "retired" in first half.He is world class and irreplaceable.

You can only replace Scholes with.. Scholes?

#irreplaceable

Sir Alex Ferguson:

"But we didn't start playing until Scholes came onto the pitch with his range of passing, his consistency of passing and his presence turned the game for us."

Robin Van Persie:

‘I have to say “Thank you” to Paul Scholes,’ he said. ‘When he came on, everything was ticking. Every single pass he hit was the right one.'
‘He hit a couple of unbelievable 30-40 yard passes. With him, you are always on your toes because anything can happen. He was my man of the match.’

Gary Neville

Scholes has enjoyed a glittering career at Old Trafford and has won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League as well as making 66 appearances for his country before retiring from international duty.

The playmaker retired at the beginning of last season but was enticed back into the United set-up by manager Sir Alex Ferguson in time to play a part in the second half of the 2011-12 campaign, and has not looked back since.

"He's a model performer for younger footballers to look to in how he plays on the pitch," Neville wrote in the Mail on Sunday.

"I would urge anyone who loves football, particularly if they have a child who wants to learn from professionals, to go along to watch him play in the flesh this season."

The influence that Scholes still has on the Manchester United team was highlighted against Southampton last weekend, as his introduction from the substitutes' bench helped Ferguson's team to a 3-2 victory.

"He had come on for just 30 minutes against Southampton but, in the words of Sir Alex Ferguson, he 'brought order to the game'," Neville continued. "That ability, for one player to be able to set the direction of a match and to control its tempo, is extraordinary.

"Paul Scholes is one of the very few in the world who can do it. I must have trained and played with him thousands of times and in every one of those training sessions and matches that’s what he was doing: bringing order to the game.

"The best illustration I can give of his talent is that at Manchester United there was always a possession drill in training designed to develop our passing ability, which might be three players against another three players, or six versus six, or nine versus nine.

"But no matter what the numbers were, the side with Paul Scholes on their team would always win by keeping the most possession."

Scholes has joined an exclusive club at Old Trafford that includes Sir Bobby Charlton and Ryan Giggs in reaching the 700 appearance mark, and Neville believes that many of his teammates will declare that he is one the finest players to have played for 19-time league champions.

"There might be no knighthoods, no MBEs or OBEs, but every single team-mate will say he is the best they have ever played with," Neville opined.

"And every player he had played against, including Xavi and Zinedine Zidane, would say he is the best midfielder they have faced. Every fan or every club, no matter who they support, loves the way Paul Scholes plays.

"He's a private man, a family man, and those are the parts of his life he values most. He doesn't have an agent, he doesn't employ a PR guru and there are no celebrity mates.

"He's just a kid from Middleton who grew up playing football on the streets and achieved his dreams. He is certainly the best player I've ever played with and the best English player of his generation."

At this rate, we'll never replace him.

As we all know and probably may have expected, Paul Scholes has announced his definitive retirement from playing football. As with Sir Alex Ferguson, a simple thank you is not enough, but, at the moment there is all I can do. Thank you, future Sir Paul Scholes, for the memories, for being one of the very best in the world and the history of this great club and for delighting us with your amazing passes, vision, shots and especially goals. Thank you for making everyone raise an eyebrow "Ancelotti-style" after each of your tackles. Thank you for being such a laid-back guy and not buying into the media game, remaining unspoilt by the dark side of celebrity. Thank you for being a consummate professional and helping the team whenever it needed you. As I have said before, a simple thank you is not merely enough and I will let the deeds of the great man bring up wonderful memories to those who will decide to watch the video below.

Carragher being delusional.

When he asked, why did Sven play Lampard and Gerrard in the middle  

How could use that to back up his argument? Lampard and Gerrard never worked out. Plus, in the 2010 WC Gerrard played on the wing too. By Carragher's logic Lampard and Barry> Gerrard then.

Then he asked, why did Ferguson buy Veron?  

"because Paul Scholes' is poor"

Seriously, did he really think it was because Scholes was shit. SAF said Scholes is best British midfielder in the last 20 years, ffs.

I think Neville had to withhold himself because of his position in the English NT team, tbh.

"Paul Scholes is the best player I ever played with"

LOL Carragher is so poor.

my god Carragher is a bloody idiot

why did he put scholes on the left? because he is the only one of the 3 with the versatility and skill to adapt, the other 2 would be hopeless tossers out there ffs

I wanted to punch Carragher throughout that whole video, so daft yet employed for his opinion

did he win enough games? who the *bleep* has won more then Manchester United in the last 20 years you daft c*nt, who was at the heart of midfield for all those years

my god he is unbearable

The difference between Scholes and any other English CM in the past 20 years is not even questionable. Scholes was the best.

Too many football legends said that he was the best...it's not a coincidence. But now Carragher comes with those aberrant statements.