Well scholes has confirmed his retirement back in may... again. Got a collection of quotes.
Xavi Hernández: "In the last 15 to 20 years the best central midfielder that I have seen - the most complete - is Scholes. To me Paul is a role model. I have spoken with Xabi Alonso about this many times. Scholes is a spectacular player who has everything. He can play the final pass, he can score, he is strong, he never gets knocked off the ball and he doesn’t give possession away. If he had been Spanish then maybe he would have been valued more."
Zinedine Zidane: "He's 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 to it as you can get. One of my regrets is that the opportunity to play alongside him never presented itself during my career."
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 Ferguson."
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"
Micah Richards: "He's always in the right position, always seems to be at the end of the box when the ball drops in. The complete midfielder - when he's fit, he's the best. Some go missing but he's in the right place at the right time. He's my favourite player of all-time, unbelievable. If you give him a chance it's a goal, isn't it?"
Terry Venables : "He’s the best one- or two-touch passer in the country. He sees the game unlike any other player."
Alan Shearer : "If you ask footballers to pick out the player they most admire, so many of them will pick Paul Scholes. He can tackle, and his passing and shooting is of the highest level. He’s the most consistent and naturally gifted player we’ve had for a long, long time."
Eidur Gudjohnsen : "I'm more an admirer of Paul Scholes than I am of Ronaldo. Ronaldo is a fantastic player, but he has 10 other great players around him every week...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."
Tony Adams : "I really rate Paul Scholes, because he hasn't got the high profile of many of the Manchester United players, he doesn't get too much attention, but he is one very good player. He is an intelligent player, he works hard and he scores some great goals. He is not flamboyant and is a quiet lad off the pitch but he is a tremendous asset to Manchester United and to England. He has already got my vote as player of the year."
Gordon Strachan : "Paul Scholes has been the best England midfield player for 30-odd years. You'd probably have to go back to Bobby Charlton to find someone who could do as much as Scholes. When the ball arrives at his feet he could tell you where every player on that pitch is at that moment. His awareness is superb."
England have lost their best player
George Best after Paul retired from international football
There isn’t a player of his mould anywhere in the world.
Glen Hoddle
For me, it’s Paul Scholes. He’ll do ridiculous things in training like say, “You see that tree over there?” – it’ll be 40 yards away – “I’m going to hit it”. And he’ll do it. Everyone at the club considers him the best.”
Rio Ferdinand
I wouldn’t swap Paul Scholes for anybody. He is quite simply the most complete footballer I have ever played with. He is the best.
Gary Neville
We won’t ever see another one like Paul Scholes. He is a legend and a real benchmark. He is not interested in the modern-day footballer’s life off the pitch, but he is a world-class player on it. He has probably never really got the true recognition he deserved outside of Manchester United because he never did the media. He didn’t do interviews and never put himself out for things like that. I cannot believe he has never been nominated for World, European or domestic individual honours because in his prime he was scoring 20 goals a season from midfield. It is astonishing he has never won a personal award, but given the choice of winning something and then having to get up and do the speech, I think he would rather not have won them!
Darren Fletcher
He’s the best one- or two-touch passer in the country. He sees the game unlike any other player.
Terry Venables
Paul, for me, is the best player in the England team. It worries teams. Speak to any other international team and they will single Paul out as England’s key player. For me, he doesn’t get the full credit that he deserves. He is a world-class player and deserves to be up there with the likes of Zidane and Figo.
Phil Neville
Lee Sharpe: “A few of us including Robbo, are watching the Youth team and we ask the boss which ones are staying, going etc. etc. So he points to them one by one, “he’s staying” he’s going.” Robbo says, “What about the little Ginger lad?” Fergie – “Well, we’re not sure. He’s got loads of ability, but he’s not the quickest, and we’re not sure if he’s a striker or a midfielder. He can’t tackle either. We’ll most likely let him go.”
“2 minutes later, Scholes runs from a deep position exposing the two centre halves, goes through both with a shimmy and dummy, feints to shoot past the keeper, who then commits himself, and gets beaten by chip over a flailing hand.
Robbo turns to the boss and says, “You don’t know fucking much about players, do you boss?”.”
Inter owner Massimo Moratti’s adviser, Pino Pagliara: I told Moratti Scholes is a “mission impossible” man. It’s more than money with him. He was born just a few blocks away from Old Trafford. It`s about wearing United’s colours.
Legend