The Three Lions coach made an 11th hour call to the Manchester
United star on the eve of his provisional squad announcement.
Midfielder Scholes, capped 66 times for his country, said: "It's
a big decision and I wasn't really given enough time to think about
it, so I decided not to take up the offer.
"If they'd asked me earlier I probably would have accepted."
Scholes, 35, has not played for England since retiring from
international football after Euro 2004.
Despite the plea from Capello, Scholes did not feel happy
getting the nod over someone who helped the team reach the
finals.
He added: "I haven't been involved for a long time. It wasn't a
case of wanting to go on holiday, it was the fact I got the call so
close to the tournament.
"Also I didn't want to take the place of someone who helped get
England to South Africa. The idea just didn't sit comfortably with
me."