Scholes retires.

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Manchester United's Paul Scholes has announced his retirement aged 36.

Midfielder Scholes made his United debut in 1994, making 676 appearances, and will now join the coaching staff.

The news came after he helped the club win a record 19th league title, the 10th of his career, and his last game was Saturday's Champions League final loss to Barcelona.

"This was not a decision I've taken lightly but I feel now is the right time for me to stop playing," he said.

The famously low key Scholes stated: "I am not a man of many words but I can honestly say that playing football is all I have ever wanted to do and to have had such a long and successful career at Manchester United has been a real honour.

"To have been part of the team that helped the club reach that 19th title is a great privilege."

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson paid tribute, calling him "a truly unbelievable player.

"Paul has always been inspirational to players of all ages and we know that will continue in his new role," he added.

Scholes was also held in high esteem by his fellow professionals - former world player of the year Zinedine Zidane called him "the complete midfielder" and "my toughest opponent.

"Scholes is undoubtedly the greatest of his generation," added the former France international.

Sir Bobby Charlton was also a huge admirer.

"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 Ferguson era - and in so many ways Scholes is my favourite," he said.

United team-mate Rio Ferdinand said Scholes had gone "from a scoring midfielder to a dictator of the game" and "changed his game while still at top of the game", while Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere described him as "top class" and "a great role model for any young English midfielder."

Scholes was part of United's Class of 92, which also produced David Beckham, Nicky Butt and Gary Neville - another player who ended his United career this season.

United chief executive David Gill said Scholes had "established himself as one of the greatest players to ever wear the United shirt".

In addition to winning 10 Premier League titles, Scholes was a member of the team that triumphed in the 2008 Champions League final against Chelsea, but was suspended for the 1999 final win over Bayern Munich.

He also won 66 England caps before retiring from international football following the Euro 2004 tournament, aged only 29, but coach Fabio Capello tried to tempt him to change his mind for last summer's World Cup.

Scholes said he would have considered a U-turn but was not given enough time to make up his mind.

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Nosurprise to me in truth, I knew he was going to do it when he got his red in the cup semi final.

That said, the man is an absolute legend and it was an honour and a privilege to watch him play in the red shirt!

He didn't however say that was the reason for him not being in his top 25. He also didn't mention tackling when saying he rated Keane as being better than -Scholes.

No he said Scholes wasn't in his top 25 for having limited ability and being liable to hurt someone.

He then went on to say in a later post that Keane was better than Scholes. Bit of a contradiction considering Keane went out his way to hurt people at times.

Now now chaps.

Being a United fan, you're going to get maybe a biased view, but here we go.

Scholes for me is the best, bar none, midfield I have seen play live. Put it plainly, the man is a genius. First midfielder I've ever seen before the likes of Xavi and Iniesta to be able to read a game in heartbeat and his range of passing is excellent to say the least. To say he has limited talent is casting scorn on one of the modern games greats.

Also, he is probably the benchmark in off pitch conduct. You never saw any trouble with Scholes outside the footballing circle. The man was a model pro and is rightly a legend.

His tackling is rightly criticised, but thats how his game was, he was able to hassle and harry players into giving the ball away without making the challenge.

United have a giant chasm to fill in their midfield.

Your opinion Kev. In my opinion Xavi is one of the best midfielders of all time, and as I've mentioned (and been attacked over) before Scholes isn't. In my opinion Scholes has always been a limited player who I've never liked in 15ish years of watching football. It has nothing to do with him being a united player, as Giggs/Beckham/Ronaldo/VDS/Stam etc are some of my favourites of those 15 years. Also I never said that Scholes' tackling being the reason he wouldn't be in my top 25, and also never compared Scholes to Keane with their tackling.

Think of all the "great" players never to win the Premiership/Champions League, Scholes' career has encompassed winning almost everything there is to win. Hence the somehow has had a brilliant career comment. As I then added in my opinion Scholes could have very easily been an [above] average player for a midtable side and won very little. Throwing around the word WUM just sounds like you can't take someone having a negative opinion of Scholes or of anything that isn't your opinion. I understand I'm in the minority with my views of Scholes but as Derby has showed I'm not alone in thinking that he wasn't one of the modern greats.

Does that cover it?

And I agree with Sainty that off the field he is a model pro to be held up as a role model.

Gregers I don't get how someone can say he is a player of limited ability. At his best he could get box to box, score goals, had a great range of passing and very rarely gave the ball away, never looked out of place no matter the opposition and a great desire for the game. These aren't an opinion these are facts. How is that limited ability?

prettyboykev wrote:Gregers I don't get how someone can say he is a player of limited ability. At his best he could get box to box, score goals, had a great range of passing and very rarely gave the ball away, never looked out of place no matter the opposition and a great desire for the game. These aren't an opinion these are facts. How is that limited ability?

Surely every player in the world has "limited ability"? Also whether or not he looked out of place would be a matter of opinion.

I'm not going to just go back and forth on this. I think he was limited, you don't. Now lets stop with the handbags and just agree to disagree!

Gregers wrote:Now lets stop with the handbags and just agree to disagree!

I disagree.

if the handbag do not stop. ill make it stop.

ive watched this all afternoon.

you both have different opinions of scholes lets leave it at that before it just turns into anything but a debate.

How can it turn into anything but a debate fernando? Two people have different views. It's no biggie!

Surely two people having different views and debating them is what makes a debate?

Odnan what else could it turn into we're not the type to start name calling.

prettyboykev wrote:Surely two people having different views and debating them is what makes a debate?

Odnan what else could it turn into we're not the type to start name calling.

im not complaining just don't want it heading in that direction (abusing etc..) pb so now seemed the right time to comment .

Derbyblue wrote:

prettyboykev wrote:Gregers I don't get how someone can say he is a player of limited ability. At his best he could get box to box, score goals, had a great range of passing and very rarely gave the ball away, never looked out of place no matter the opposition and a great desire for the game. These aren't an opinion these are facts. How is that limited ability?

Surely every player in the world has "limited ability"? Also whether or not he looked out of place would be a matter of opinion.

Depends what you mean by limited ability. In regards to certain aspects of their game then yes even Messi has stuff he can't do.

Saying he never looked out of place against the top teams is probably a matter of opinion but in Scholes case like so many top players it's pretty much a given. In 2008 against Barca in thesemi final of the Champions League he ran the midfield playing against Xavi, Iniesta and Toure/Keita I think he got MOTM in that game. 3 months later Spain win the Euros and Xavi/Iniesta are the greatest midfield duo ever but Scholes is limited. I don't see it.

you put scholes in barca's team and could he do the same as xavi? definatey imo, remember spain is much easier league to play in than the premier league, alot more time on the ball, also inesta has been better than xavi.

and having discussions are fine but to say scholes has limited ability is just stupid, and if you think that either you have never seen him play or dont know nothing about football. you try and find a leading expert in football with the same opinion. thought not

Can't say I ever liked the guy, but you knew he was a threat if you were up against Utd and he was in the side.

He's had a great career, and the good fortune to do it while in a team as dominant as Utd have been all these years.

Big ask for anybody tagged next year as his replacement.

Scholes is cracking player but in the top 10 midfielders to have ever played in the EPL? I ain't so sure. His passing ability is second to none but if you had to pick a starting XI of Premier League players past and present, would he be in your team?

I think that if he hadn't been at United I don't think he'd have been hailed as the same great player.

Not something I would say about a United playr often,but Paul Scholes is a legend.He should have got a lot more gametime for England than he did. He should have been the fulcrum of that England team.Shame it wasn't to be.

It suprises me that people think there is a 'big hole' to fill.

Don't get me wrong I think Scholesy is class, however what Fergie has done well is phase him out of the team gradually so the void is more mental than anything.

I do however think United will buy a new central midfielder this summer but this would have happened regardless of whether or not the ginger ninja retired

Thomond wrote:
Not something I would say about a United playr often,but Paul Scholes is a legend.He should have got a lot more gametime for England than he did. He should have been the fulcrum of that England team.Shame it wasn't to be.

His choice to ditch England to lengthen his club career which, as a United fan I salute, however maybe he didn't think England had any potential to be world beaters so he called it quits. I guess we'll never really know.

I thought he left because he was getting played on the left not in the centre? He's also said he wishes he had gone to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa but says he was only given a day to think about it which is why he didn't go.

his england choice was many things not just one, he was sick of all the attention and hype that came with the team, a team that was also playing him on the left just to accomadate lampard and gerrard (that worked didnt it!!) he wanted to spend more time with his family during the off season and also had a few injurys around the time which with giving up england helped him prolong his united career, which seemed to work, 36 and still playing at a high standard and hasnt had too many bad injurys. compare lampard and gerrard this season and you can see a difference even though both said players are alot younger