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."
39
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