Paul Scholes: More than just a name

It was in the FA cup fixture between Manchester United and their arch rivals Manchester City that a familiar face was introduced as a substitute, a face which had been around for almost two decades, but it still raised many eyebrows. Maybe, it was because this face had been missing for the entire season before that match. But for millions of United’s fans world over, more than joy it was much of a relief, because this familiar face was of the legend called Paul Scholes.

Xavi: In the last 15 to 20 years the best central midfielder that I have seen — the most complete — is Scholes.

Zinedine Zidane: My toughest opponent? Scholes of Manchester. He is the complete midfielder.

United were shockingly knocked out of the UEFA Champions League in the group stage itself, following an early elimination from the League Cup. And once their title campaign was completely derailed by the 6-1 thrashing at the hands of rivals City in the derby at Old Trafford, this loyal United servant could simply not resist himself from wearing the red jersey again and get back to business as usual in the middle of the park. What followed was an impressive league run by the Red Devils, collecting 22 points from a possible 24 from 8 games. The only two points they dropped were against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, where they came from 3-0 behind to level the score at 3-3.

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’.

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

Recently, Manchester United were voted ‘the best team of the Premier League’ over the last 20 seasons, Sir Alex Ferguson as ‘the best manager’ and Ryan Giggs as ‘the best player’. No doubt, Ryan Giggs has just been amazing over the past two decades and deserves all the appreciation and respect that he is getting; but the man who has been the most instrumental in United’s dominance in the past two decades has been undoubtedly Paul Scholes. When he retired, even with Giggs’ presence, United struggled in almost all competitions and it was only when he returned that things started to look a bit better. While Giggs has enjoyed all the limelight, Scholes has selflessly stayed away from it and has silently worked day in and day out so that the Red Devils continue to terrorize their opponents.

Laurent Blanc :I tell anyone who asks me – Scholes is the best English player.

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

They say United creates legends- George Best, Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo are to name a few of that elite list. One common thing between all of them is that they all wore the number 7 jersey for the Reds. They were the most skillful players of their generations. The crowds simply loved watching them- with all the step-overs, soft touches, backheels and everything exhibited their supreme qualities on the ball.

Scholes never wore the number 7 jersey. What he did- and continues to do- was to keep passing the ball, control possession and dictate the flow or the pace of the game. His long aerial passes to the flying wingers in the corner of the pitch are as exciting as those delicate step-overs. His distance shooting is as thrilling as those sharp 360 degree turns. But his best quality is the calmness that he exhibits even in the most crunch situations. It is this calmness that eases the nerves of the entire team and helps them perform better in situations where they need to bounce back.

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.

Roy Keane: An amazingly gifted player who remained an unaffected human being.

Today, United have many superstars in Nani, Young, Valencia, the recent additon of van Persie and the biggest of them all, Wayne Rooney. There is young blood in defence in the form of Jones, Rafael, Smalling and there are young strikers in Welbeck and Chicharito. Thus, the future looks bright.

But the toughest tasks are those for Tom Cleverley and Nick Powell – the task of stepping into the boots of the legendary Paul Scholes. When Scholes eventually retires, he will leave behind a legacy, a void that may well take years to be filled again. Perhaps, United will never be able to find his replacement. Perhaps, Powell and Cleverley will not be able to become ‘the next Paul Scholes.

But we United fans will settle for ‘the first Nick Powell’ and ‘the first Tom Cleverley’ and hope they create legacies of their own, just like the one that Scholes will be leaving behind.