Featured Image Credit: Getty/TNT Sports
Topics: Manchester United, Paul Scholes, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur, Gareth Bale
Luke Davies
Topics: Manchester United, Paul Scholes, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur, Gareth Bale
Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has revealed the two players who 'made him retire' from football for good.
Scholes, 50, came through the ranks at United and was part of the Class of ’92 alongside David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and Phil Neville.
The former England international first announced his retirement in the summer of 2011, having played for the Red Devils in a 3-1 defeat against Barcelona in the Champions League final three days prior.
"I actually thought the first time I retired would be the end,” Scholes said when speaking on the ‘Football's Greatest’ podcast.
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However, with United sustaining a huge injury crisis in January 2012, Scholes was once again called into action and made the drastic decision to rejoin the club.
"I came back for six months originally and then the manager [Sir Alex Ferguson] wanted me to stay for another season and I think that was a mistake,” he added.
Following his return, he went on to play for a further 16 months in the Premier League but later revealed that a particular game made him realise that his time at the top level was up.
In September 2012, Scholes started alongside Michael Carrick in the heart of United’s midfield during a 3-2 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.
He has since admitted that he struggled to get to grips with then-Spurs midfielder Mousa Dembele and winger Gareth Bale, who signed for Real Madrid at the start of the subsequent season.
"I remember playing a game against Tottenham at home, it was only the third or fourth game of the season, and I think we got beat at home 3-2," Scholes told TNT Sports in 2018.
"I played alright in possession, but I remember [Mousa] Dembele just cruising past me, Gareth Bale... I know they cruise past people but I was just watching and thinking 'I can't do this anymore'.
"I wanted to retire early again that season, but I just thought it would look a bit stupid, a bit embarrassing."
However, Scholes did secure an 11th Premier League title that season, so his decision to return was probably a wise one after all.