“This could’ve happened to me when I was 21” - Manchester United legend Paul Scholes names player who made him feel like he couldn’t ‘compete’

Legendary Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has acknowledged that his decision to come out of retirement to play in the 2012-13 season was a mistake. Reflecting on his return to football, Scholes shared that it became clear to him that his playing days were truly behind him after a humbling experience against Tottenham Hotspur's Gareth Bale.

Scholes, who spent his entire club career with Manchester United, rose through the Red Devils' academy. During his time at Old Trafford, he made 714 appearances across competitions, scoring 153 goals and providing 82 assists. Scholes won a plethora of trophies, including 11 Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues.

After retiring in May 2011, Scholes made a dramatic return to action in early 2012, following a request from then-Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. However, Scholes regrets his decision to extend his career, especially after his outing against Gareth Bale.

Speaking on the Football’s Greatest podcast, he shared his thoughts via the Mirror.

"I actually thought the first time I retired would be the end. I came back for six months originally, and then the manager [Ferguson] wanted me to stay for another season, and I think that was a mistake," he said.

"I think it was the first home game of my last season, against Tottenham. I remember I didn't actually play that badly, but I remember playing against Gareth Bale. Now this could have happened to me when I was 21, but he was just starting to burst and he was flying. I remember him going past me two or three times and I knew I couldn't compete with that, I had absolutely no chance. I was in the ice bath later and I could've been in there for two days, I could barely move for three or four days," " Scholes continued.

"That's when I knew that was the end. It was a mistake to play that season. It was a special moment (to come on for his final game) but I didn't really want it, I wanted to go away quietly. I didn't even want to play the last game and even that confirmed I was doing the right thing," he added.

Paul Scholes had an illustrious career at Manchester United as he won 11 Premier League titles, two Champions League titles, three FA Cups, and two League Cups.

What Paul Scholes said after Manchester United sacked Erik ten Hag

Manchester United parted ways with Erik ten Hag in October after a poor start to the season. But Paul Scholes felt the Red Devils should have bid goodbye to the Dutch manager earlier.

Scholes criticized Manchester United's hierarchy for delaying ten Hag's sacking. He told TNT Sports via Eurosport:

“I don’t think it was a great surprise and was going to happen sooner rather than later. I’m surprised it went on beyond the summer after such a poor season last year. Along the way there have been some quite damaging defeats that he has survived."

However, the Manchester United legend praised the Dutch manager for winning silverware at Old Trafford. Ten Hag helped United win a League Cup and an FA Cup.

“You have to give him credit for winning those two trophies. But when you’re nine games into the season - a quarter of the way through - and you’re 14th in the Premier League and 21st in the new format of the Europa League with three draws from three games, it’s no surprise. You only have to look at the positions in the tables. Whoever the manager was, he was going to be struggling."

Manchester United have appointed Ruben Amorim as their new manager.