A somewhat modest off the pitch but an absolute giant on the pitch, Paul Scholes is revered as one of the best midfielders of his generation. He has always delivered heroic performances for Manchester United but made a seemingly quiet impact for the Three Lions.
Scholes was given the freedom to move around at United. However, under former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson, he was relegated to the left flank, a position that arguably wasted the midfielder’s array of talents. Despite this, Eriksson believes that Paul Scholes was the “greatest talent” he ever coached (via The Daily Star).
Early retirement
The Red Devils icon racked up 66 appearances for the Three Lions. He would easily have doubled that figure if he hadn’t retired from international football in 2004. At just 29, Scholes might have reached his peak. His withdrawal dealt England a titanic blow.
Many believe that Scholes hung up his England boots as a result of being banished to the left flank. Nearly two decades later, Eriksson admitted that Scholes was immensely talented.
The most talented player in England.
In a conversation with Betway, Eriksson praised the legendary United midfielder, saying: “I think Paul Scholes was the most talented player I ever coached, he had everything.”
“You can pick so many huge players from my time.”
“Rooney, Beckham, Rio, Terry, Owen when he was at his peak. But Scholes was a playmaker, finisher, defender; he wasn’t the best in the world, but he could do it.
“He was a brilliant soccer player.”
While the Swede was in charge, the Three Lions reached the World Cup quarterfinals twice, in 2002 and 2006.
Scholes may have ended his international career prematurely, but at club level he continued to shine for another eight years. Along the way, the midfield maestro made a total of 714 appearances, contributing 153 goals and 75 assists.
Soccer greats like Zinedine Zidane have also praised the Red Devils legend’s prowess.
The French soccer wizard once said:
“He is almost untouchable in what he does. I never tire of watching him play. You rarely come across the complete footballer, but Scholes is as close as you can get.
“One of my regrets is that the opportunity to play alongside him never presented itself during my career.”
It’s hard to judge, given his personable personality, but Scholes said he had no problem playing on the left wing for England.
In his 2011 biography, he wrote: “Playing on the left was never a problem.”
“I played on the left at United I don’t know how many times.”
“I probably had my most successful moments scoring goals in that position, so it was never a problem.”
Would you have played Scholes on the left flank?
