Paul Scholes could make his 600th appearances for
Manchester United on Wednesday, with Sir Alex Ferguson claiming no
club has ever bid for him.
Only Bill Foulkes, Sir Bobby Charlton and Ryan Giggs have
played more often for the Red Devils than Scholes, who made his
debut as a 19-year-old against Port Vale in 1994.
Since then, Scholes has made an art form of avoiding publicity.
There will be no fanfare to mark his latest milestone, or even his
retirement should it come, as predicted, in the summer of 2010.
On Sunday at Wembley no-one even bothered to ask the former
England star whether he would stop to offer his observations on the
FA Cup semi-final defeat to Everton.
The waiting journalists knew what the answer would be, just as
Ferguson feels potential suitors knew what response they would get
should they have ever asked Scholes to join them.
"Funnily enough we have never had one enquiry for Paul Scholes,"
said Ferguson. "You know why? Because they all know he will never
leave.
"Maybe he has had private situations where people have begged
him to join them because that is how it happens with agents phoning
up and all that nonsense.
"But they all know he wouldn't leave here."
It can be quite amusing to watch Scholes in action. Showered,
dressed and out of the dressing room while most of his team-mates
are still digesting their latest battle, the 34-year-old prefers
life at home with his three children to any of the glamour and
glitz of the Premier League.
If anyone else had called time on his England career at 29,
still in his prime with loads to offer, a reason other than not
wanting to be away from home would be presumed. Not Scholes, who
finished with 66 caps, a ridiculously small number for a player of
such talent.
Quite possibly Scholes was the outstanding English player of his
generation.
"At United, you can go back to the Best, Law and Charlton era,"
said Ferguson. "Before that you have Duncan Edwards.
"You are talking a wide panorama of players. But in my time he
would be in the top six or seven without a doubt.
"His contribution and quality have been great, even without the
fantastic goals he has scored.
"When he came on against Everton on Sunday, his first touch was
better than anyone else's had been in the whole previous hour.
"He has that wonderful velvet touch on the ball. When he gets
it, it goes stone dead. It is wonderful to see that amidst all the
mayhem that can happen in a football match."
Had Scholes not suffered the type of serious injuries Giggs
never has, including an eye problem which kept him out for half a
season in 2006 and threatened his career, he might well have been
challenging the Welshman's United appearance record of 798.
He could never get close to the number of interviews though.
Of that famed class of 92 from which Scholes emerged, Giggs
slots in alongside former team-mate Phil Neville in carrying out
media duties in a polite manner, interesting and fun, without
courting too much controversy.
Gary Neville tends to be a bit more blunt. David Beckham is
obviously happy with the attention, Nicky Butt far, far less
so.
Scholes, well he is something else entirely. A footballer who
does not seem to like football very much.
"I know where he is coming from there," said Ferguson. "It is
agony trying to get him to press conferences or do anything for
UEFA games.
"I made him captain once. He didn't like it. There is no chance
of him having it again.
"These days, on the press side of things some do it grudgingly
and can cope with it. Others enjoy it and are very professional
about it.
"But quite a few don't enjoy it at all. They just see themselves
as footballers. When they have finished training they like to be
back home."