Scholes set for two-year Old Trafford swansong
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Family guy Scholes set for two-year Old Trafford swansong
Midfield linchpin considers life after United and that may include stepping down a level
Paul Scholes reached the pinnacle of his career in Moscow two months ago with a winning appearance in the Champions League final, the crowning glory of an exemplary career for club and country. The 33-year-old midfielder has spent some of the time since May 21 considering how he will descend gracefully from that peak and yesterday revealed his conclusion when he set a two-year deadline for his exit from Manchester United.
"How long will I go on? I'd think two years at the most," he said. "I have one year left on my contract and hopefully I'll get another one but I suppose it all depends on how you're feeling and how you're playing. At the moment I just think two years would be about right."
Football's most reluctant star is living proof that celebrity can remain an optional extra. Scholes has operated below the radar for almost a decade and a half at Old Trafford and, while he may miss the top-level football when he leaves, he has never cared for the lifestyle trappings that go with it. The 10 days he will have spent away from his wife, Claire, and three young children, by the time he returns from United's four-game tour of South Africa and Nigeria are tough on such a family man.
"I can't say that I can't wait to finish but I am looking forward to finishing with everything that goes with it," he said. "I suppose people are just very invasive and are always wanting to know what you're going to do. The only thing I will definitely miss is the football, not the general life of a footballer."
Leaving a club is a wrench for any long-serving player and, while Scholes may see the writing on the wall at Old Trafford, he has not ruled out a move elsewhere when the time finally comes to leave. "It's difficult to say whether I want to bow out at the top [with United] or not. I'll just have to see, when the time comes, whether I want to carry on playing somewhere else at a lower level. But I don't look that far ahead.
"I've not done my coaching badges. I've never really done any coaching but I might give it a go and see if I like it. For now, though, I just want to concentrate on playing."
When Scholes does leave United it will be after serving his whole career as a professional player there and there has never been any temptation to swap Old Trafford for another stage. Cristiano Ronaldo appears to fancy another platform on which to treat the world to his talents but Scholes believes there is little to be gained - other than financially - by moving elsewhere.
"If other players fancy a move and a bit of money, then good luck to them but, if they're at a place like this, I don't think they realise how lucky they are to be playing here. "It's always a step down after here. There are obviously big clubs in the world but, while certain people think it might be a progression to move somewhere else when you leave here, I don't think it is.
"I've had everything I need. I'm at Manchester United and I'm from Manchester, so what more do I need? I'm just one of the lucky ones who is at such a big club and has won a lot of trophies, but there are a lot of players throughout the league that won't win anything, yet will make big money out of it. Good luck to them."
When Scholes does finally walk away from United, he will emerge with two Champions League winners' medals to his name - one from Barcelona, the other from Moscow.
Scholes received the first while wearing his suit in the Nou Camp thanks to a suspension, however, so he admits that the second, won in the Russian capital in May, is the only one that matters.
"It meant everything," Scholes said. "It was a great night to win probably the biggest trophy in club football. Maybe we were a bit lucky towards the end but I was always hopeful we'd win it again and, luckily, we did it.
"I don't have my medals on show, they're just locked away somewhere. I got a medal in 1999 but I don't view myself as a double Champions League winner. You've got to play in the final for it to count. Hopefully we can do better this time than we did after 1999 when we had to wait another nine years."
Golden oldies
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A certain no. 7 at Man Utd should learn something from this dude.
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IAN WALKER SIAL....... LOL
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Model footballer he is.
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2 more CL finials for this fella i hope =)