True Footballing Legend

The worst news I could possibly hear on an early morning commute to work. No, my house wasn't on fire, nor was anyone in poor health. My favourite player had retired from the game, never to play again. Its a different feeling from those who may experience the sale of their favourite player to another club, as the opportunity still is there that he may come back, and there is the chance to still watch him play. Losing a player to retirement is a broken heart feeling that causes pain like no other.

Okay, maybe im going a little overboard, but it is a sickening feeling that the No. 18 wont be doned by the red haired assasin anymore. Those fans who have dealt with the retirements of Ronaldo, Zidane, Maldini, Bergkamp, Zola, Nedved, Figo etc know exactly the feeling of never being able to rush home to see a match featuring their hero.

The ginger ninja, the gingerbread man, Scholesey and Ginger Prince are all names given to the midfield maestro that is Paul Scholes.

In my humble opinion, one of the greatest midfielders to have graced the pitch at Old Trafford, and a highly respected professional by other greats in the game. The killer through balls, def touches and simple skill, matched with impeccable control, accuracy added with a shot that packs more venom than a family of King Cobra's, was it ever any doubt that this Salford born orange haired firecracker would write his way into the history books?

Another one of Fergie's Fledglings, Scholes emerged as a feisty red haired center midfielder, and quickly gained the respect of the club regulars such as Roy Keane and Steve Bruce, as well as the manager, Sir Alex.

To the average football viewer, two things come to mind when hearing the mention of Scholsey. First would probably be his "Amazing Tackling ability" and second may well be his ferocious long range shot which has since labelled the 18 ta 30 yard area at Old Trafford as "Scholes Range." Its no secret that Paul was never known for his tackling, and in fact he was able to amass a staggering 120 yellow cards, and 10 reds, which actually means he got more cards in his career than he scored goals. His 466 appearances for United seeing him score 102 goals from his central midfield position, and a great portion of them were candidates for goal of the season in their respective years.

Always the first name on my fantasy team sheet, Scholes is also a perfect role model for what a "TRUE FOOTBALLER" should be. He may not have drawn all the plaudits over his career, and he does not care to. He may not have the fanciest car, and does not care to. Scholes cares about football and family, and never lets anything get in the way of either. Media shy, and very private, Paul would everyday come to training, give his heart out in practice, go to the dressing room to kit down, and leave to go home. No interviews, no sitting around cracking jokes, never caught up in media spotlight. Such a humble servant to the sport and largely undervalued and underrated player.

It was long thought that last season may well have been the last full season Scholes would play well in and maybe he was past his prime, but at the beginning of this season saw glimpses of the class that Paul has, with impressive displays. Somehow though, very slowly and it seemed that age was catching up with him quicker than was expected, with a red card against city, and some sub par displays meaning Scholes became part of a rotation as opposed to a concrete figure in the starting line up.

It has often been suggested that Scholes, had he played in Spain, may have been recognized as a world player of the year or may have been at least nominated. His amazing passing ability and vision ensured that other greats such as Zidane, Davids, Lippi, Fabregas, Xavi, Viera, Shearer, Raul, Henry, Guardiola, Mourinho and even club legends Sir Bobby Charlton and the late George Best took notice, with all of the aforementioned at one point being quoted as saying Scholes was the best midfielder of his generation.

Even England, have on numerous occasions tried to lure him out of international retirement, with Capello himself giving Scholes a call in an attempt to include him in the World Cup team. Such a dimension that personally England has missed for many years in the middle of the field, Scholes could possibly have been that missing piece in the team that has prevented them from reaching the latter stages of competitions for the past two decades.

Echoing his reserved personality Scholes was an expert at standing back, waiting, moving things along. His expertise as an incisive play maker peaked long before the Opta statisticians and chalkboard pundits were able to give concrete evidence of what football’s involved observers already knew. The man was an engine. Xavi is likely right; if Scholes had been born Spanish, they’d have built an entire midfield around him.

It was plain to see in the recent Champions League final the respect that the Spanish players had for the Ginger Prince, as Iniesta quickly looked to exchange shirts with Scholes, before running to celebrate with his teammates, which is something I'm sure would have also been done by Xavi, Messi, Puyol or even Guardiola himself had they thought of it before Iniesta.

I will never understand why people don't hold Scholsey in such high regard as I do, but its something I am going to have to deal with. He may not have an eye catching highlight reel as that of a Messi or Ronaldo, and hence may not have as many fans, but he quietly worked his magic into the game, just as quietly as he has said goodbye.

I have finally made my peace with his retirement after about a week of trying to wake up from what I was certain was a nightmare, but never will I forget his impeccable playing style, and passion for the sport. Paul is a true legend and one that will never be forgotten by this die hard fan. The team at Old Trafford will be missing something as they line up next season. The Ginger Prince will unfortunately no longer grace the midfield of the Red Devils, but will always grace our hearts, mine especially.