To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

The Premier League Player Sir Alex Ferguson Saw As Paul Scholes' Successor

The Premier League Player Sir Alex Ferguson Saw As Paul Scholes' Successor

Replacing Scholes proved to be a difficult task for United.

Josh Lawless

Josh Lawless

Replacing a player like Paul Scholes was never going to be easy but there was one player Sir Alex Ferguson had in mind.

An incredible goalscorer who scored 155 goals for United from midfield, Scholes was technically outstanding and capable of running a game on his own by dictating the pace and tempo.

He retired in May 2011 after lifting the Premier League title but reversed his decision by the time January 2012 and the FA Cup third round Manchester derby clash arrived, with United in the midst of a big injury crisis.

Image: PA
Image: PA

The former England man eventually called it a day for real in 2013 and it's emerged that Ferguson wanted Ilkay Gundogan, then of Borussia Dortmund, to fill the void left by Scholes.

Former first-team coach Rene Meulensteen revealed to the Evening Standard that the Red Devils were scouting the German and his teammate Marco Reus.

If Fergie had carried on then we would have had the same squad. We would have added some more quality, probably some more energy.

"We were looking at Gundogan from Dortmund and Reus at that time. We were looking at Gundogan - someone similar (to Scholes), who could keep ticking the ball over, thinks quick and has tempo."

Image: PA
Image: PA

Ferguson, like Scholes, would retire after his 13th and final Premier League title in 2013. David Moyes came in and signed Marouane Fellaini from Everton in a ยฃ27 million move on Deadline Day after missing out on Cesc Fabregas and Thiago Alcantara.

Even after Moyes' disastrous spell, you'd have to argue Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho have also struggled to properly replace the Ginger Prince despite spending big dollar.

Gundogan, meanwhile, moved to the blue half of Manchester as Pep Guardiola's first signing at City. While he's not always a regular every week, he was very important in the record-breaking title win last season.

In the 1-0 win over Chelsea in March, he completed 174 passes - which is the most a single player has achieved in a Premier League game.

Featured Image Credit:

Topics:ย Manchester City, Paul Scholes, Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson, Ilkay Gundogan

Josh is a writer who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

X

@https://twitter.com/JoshLawless_