Paul Scholes: Fergie could have kicked me out
Published 23:02 30/07/11 By Simon Mullock
Paul Scholes has confessed that Sir Alex Ferguson would have been right to kick him out of Manchester United a decade ago.
Scholes, always regarded as the quiet man of Old Trafford, risked the wrath of Fergie when he refused to play in a League Cup tie at Arsenal in November 2001, after a dip in form saw him lose his place in the team.
United were hammered 4-0 and Scholes was fined two weeks’ wages. A decade on he now admits he got off lightly for a one-man protest that still fills him with embarrassment.
Next Friday, United’s fans will pay tribute to one of the greatest players to wear the famous red shirt when Eric Cantona’s New York Cosmos arrive at Old Trafford for Scholes’ testimonial.
But he recalled: “I don’t know why I did what I did in 2001, but it is something I really regretted doing. I wasn’t in a great mood, I suppose. I had been left out the Liverpool game the previous weekend and I knew that the team going down to play Arsenal in the cup was basically a reserve side.
“I just got a bee in my bonnet that I wasn’t happy with things. I thought to myself: ‘I’m not going’. It was a silly thing to do, I know that.
“I had my reasons but it was stupid really. I ended up getting fined and having to apologise.
“But I was lucky. The manager would have been well within his rights to get rid of me.
“I mean, someone refusing to play for his team. If he had moved me out I couldn’t have had any complaint.
“I think in all my time as a player there was probably only one other argument I had in the dressing room because I didn’t really say a lot.
“I would only open my mouth if there was something I really disagreed with – and that probably only happened once or twice.”
Scholes, born in the United heartland of Salford, joined the Reds as a schoolboy in 1991. After coming through the ranks with Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Nicky Butt and the Neville brothers, he scored twice on his debut in a League Cup tie at Port Vale in 1994.
It was the first of 676 appearances for United in a career that saw him win every trophy at club level.
Scholes, 36, retired days after coming on as a sub in the 3-1 Champions League Final defeat by Barcelona in May.
Fergie immediately offered him the chance to join Gary Neville, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Brian McClair on his backroom team.
And the United boss revealed that keeping former players at the club has now become a part of the Old Trafford culture.
Ferguson said: “I said to Martin Edwards a few years ago that we should really make use of our great former players and David Gill has embraced that idea really well by making a lot of them ambassadors of the club.
“There is no one better to have among players than coaches who have been involved in the most success the club has ever had.
“They put Bobby (Charlton) on the board and, although the likes of Nobby (Stiles) and Paddy (Crerand) were on the staff for a while, these things shouldn’t be short-term appointments.
“Bayern Munich is a perfect example. Rummenigge runs the club and there is also Uli Hoeness, Gerd Muller, Sepp Maier and general manager Christian Nerlinger.”
Fergie added: “I’m looking forward to working with Neville and Scholes.
“When Scholesy comes in at the end of August, I’ll ask him to work with the youth team and Academy. He will have a role to play after that.”
