Scholes: Some days the legs won't do what I tell them

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Paul Scholes hates the limelight. The man who Sir Bobby Charlton says is his favourite player at Manchester United is old school; home and family first, football and United a close second, the celebrity game and pleasing people off the pitch absolutely nowhere.

In his 17-year career, he has largely kept his own counsel, not wanting, needing nor caring about the constant scrutiny directed at David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Scholes is the player who left the jubilant Champions League celebrations in Moscow a year ago to sit by himself on the team coach, claiming: ‘I wanted to go home, I didn’t want to hang around.’

He is the man who sees no reason why he should not play football and still lead an ordinary life. ‘I do enjoy a night out like other lads, you know. I suppose I just get away with it,’ is his modest explanation.

Scholes rarely gives interviews, but when he does it is always worth listening. And as the most talented midfield player of his generation prepares for Manchester United’s Champions League final against Barcelona on Wednesday night, he seems almost relieved to get a few things off his chest; concern about his recent form, uncertainty over his future and pessimism about what his role will be in Rome.

Just over 12 months ago, Scholes was the man who broke Barcelona’s hearts in a tension-packed Champions League semi-final at Old Trafford. On that night, he overshadowed both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi by scoring a magnificent winner, the only goal of the two legs.

But instead of looking forward with unabridged enthusiasm to Wednesday night’s ‘dream final’ between Europe’s two glamour clubs in Rome, Scholes is reflecting on a season in which he has lost his status as an automatic choice and has collected nearly as many red cards (two) as he has goals (three)
‘Have I any ambitions left in the game? To get back in the team,’ says Scholes with a typical glimpse of black humour. ‘The manager hasn’t said anything to me about playing in the final. My gut instinct is that I probably won’t, I don’t think many people think I’ll start after not playing in either of the semi-finals or against City. But you never know, we’ll have to see.’

His philosophical outlook should fool no-one. Scholes is finding that, at 34, the business of playing football is getting no easier. The man who was a member of United’s golden generation of Beckham, Gary Neville, Nicky Butt and Ryan Giggs – the team who won the FA Youth Cup in 1992 – talks candidly about the frustration of finding that on some days the body seems unwilling to drive him on.

‘I don’t seem to get forward, I know I don’t get forward, as much as I used to,’ he says. ‘And I don’t have the goalscoring chances that I used to, which is frustrating. It bothers me, of course it does. You want to contribute as much as you can and there is no bigger way than scoring goals.

‘Not playing every week is an adjustment you don’t like. You train all week and you want to play games.

‘I think there is a time when you have to accept you won’t play every week especially with the quality of midfielders we have. You just have to make sure you are ready yourself when the manager wants you to play. It is more a physical thing than a mental thing, definitely. But some days the legs don’t seem to want to do what the mind is telling them.’

Scholes has mixed Champions League memories. Along with Roy Keane, he was suspended for the dramatic 1999 final against Bayern Munich that United won 2-1 with two goals in the last minute.

‘That was difficult,’ he recalls. ‘You are happy because your club have won, but it is not the same as playing yourself.’

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He waited nine years to get another chance. When United got to the final against Chelsea, Ferguson confided: ‘I am not normally sentimental but Scholes will be the first name on my teamsheet.’

It was not a difficult choice when the final came around – Scholes was in superlative form at the time and a major player in United’s win on penalties. United dominated the first half and Chelsea only came back into the game when he tired.

Scholes has a further year on his United contract but admits he does not know where he goes from there. It could be retirement, or even a farewell stint at Oldham Athletic, the club he supported as a kid.

‘I will have to see how I am next year. If I feel I can go on again, I will do. If not, then I won’t,’ he admits candidly.

He will not rule out ending his career at Oldham but is also embarking on coaching courses this summer to try to work out if a future in management appeals.
When Ferguson rests most of his big guns against Hull today, it could give Scholes the opportunity to show he is worth at least a place on the bench in Rome.

Although this year’s final is crammed with attacking players, Scholes is not convinced it will be a goal fest. ‘I watch a lot of Spanish football and it is exciting, but you had to be impressed with the way Chelsea defended against Barcelona in their semi-final,’ he says.

‘To keep a clean sheet against a team like Barcelona takes a lot of hard work. We found that out last year over two legs. It really is tough to keep out the quality players they have.
‘In the final, we are going to be as tight while hopefully carrying more of a threat ourselves. We are a team who like to score goals and go for it but sometimes teams don’t allow you to do that.

‘I know people have called it the dream final, but we would take a 1-0 win. It doesn’t matter how you do it. If you defend for 90 minutes and just get one chance, that’s enough for us.

‘Obviously you would like to be involved in a great final with a loads of chances, a 4-3 or something like that but, as long as we win, I don’t care how we do it.

‘I don’t think we can read too much into beating Barcelona last season. They are in much better form now.’

It would be unwise to write off Scholes just yet. Fears that he would have to retire after he missed six months with an eye injury in 2006 proved premature.

Scholes, who reveals he is ‘devastated’ for Darren Fletcher – who is suspended for Wednesday’s final, does not want to be regarded as a charity case in Rome.
‘You always want to be picked on merit rather than sentiment,’ he says. Ferguson’s selection will dominate coverage between now and Wednesday night.

In Scholes’ favour is that his thunderous right-foot finish ended Barca’s hopes last year. The Catalans fear him and Ferguson knows it.