Paul Scholes admits 'unbelievable' talent wasted at Man Utd didn't like football

Paul Scholes has named the "unbelievable" talent he crossed paths with at Manchester United who didn't love playing football.

On the latest episode of the Good, Bad and the Football podcast, Paddy McGuinness asked former United midfielders Scholes and Nicky Butt if they had ever played with anyone who didn't like football.

The host added that the thought of someone playing football professionally and not enjoying it "blows my mind" and Scholes proceeded to reveal that when he was at Oldham, he coached a player who "didn't know if he was playing at night time".

Butt, who worked as a coach back at United, said that he "coached a couple of lads" who verbally told him that they "don't really like" football.

The pair quickly brought up the case of Nick Powell. Scholes called him a "space cadet" and said he was a "really talented player", with Butt adding, "All he wanted to do was just be a student and have his mates".

James Wilson, another former United academy player who later turned out for Scholes and Butt's Salford City, was also mentioned.

Butt stated: "That's two that I've named out of thousands, so there's always going to be the exception that's not going to like it".

Scholes & Butt had some teammates who DIDN'T like football ❌ pic.twitter.com/cr8ehTII47

— The Good, The Bad & The Football (@goodbadftblpod) March 4, 2026

Scholes wondered whether a crop of Brazilian players, including Anderson, had a genuine love for the game but suggested their relaxed nature could have worked in a positive way.

He claimed: "I think some of the Brazilian players like Anderson, sometimes that gives you a bit of strength because when you go into a big game - they haven't really seen the other team so it has no effect on them"

"They're not bothered. Maybe if I was watching a game, watching players and thinking 'F***ing hell, he's good' - it might give me a little bit of something to worry about."

What happened to Nick Powell?

Powell got a mammoth £6 million move to United off the back of an impressive run for Crewe Alexandra, where he scored a stunning strike in the League Two play-off final.

He scored on his Premier League debut against Wigan Athletic but only made nine appearances for the Red Devils, instead being sent out on loan three times before joining the Latics permanently.

Powell later represented Stoke City, Stockport County and current club Bradford City but in an exclusive interview with SPORTbible, admitted that his lack of professionalism is what cost him his career at the top level.

The 31-year-old revealed that he did not look after himself and regularly ate McDonald's and Dominos.

“I wasn't a Manchester United player," he said in a rare interview.

"They were a machine. Everyone was a cog and it worked really well. I played football for the fun of it, whereas they played to win and that was probably the biggest eye-opener for me.

"And do you know what, I don't look back and go, 'Oh cry for me.' Now I'm older and I see things in a different light. I think, what an experience to see that day to day. At least I got to see what a top top team and a club looks like. And that's what I take from United.

“Listen, my career could have gone either way. I was very lazy until the age of 25. And that seven years probably kills you when you're lazy."

Powell added: "I've always been labelled as someone with a bad attitude. And it wasn't that. I just wasn’t professional enough. I didn't know what was needed. I never had the mindset of wanting to be the best. My mindset was, get me on a Saturday and I'll hopefully do something good.

"Until the age of 25, my whole career was trying to find the biggest shortcut possible to make sure I could still play football."