10 greatest English footballers of all time

#9 Paul Scholes

Paul Scholes is one of the greatest of all time

For the entire duration of his career, Paul Scholes rose to fame as an underrated player. Amongst England's greatest players, you'll hardly find one with his name on it. But that won't be the case here.

Nicknamed the 'Gingerprince', Paul Scholes came through the youth ranks at Manchester United and wasted no time in letting the world know of his talent. His ability to provide devastating long balls and create chances through link-up plays was second to none. He was also gifted with long shots, chipping in vital scorchers whenever in need. Surely, none of us might have forgotten that famous belter he scored against Barcelona to book a place in the Champions League final.

When it comes to England, however, Scholes was the part of a generation that achieved far too less than expectations. Brazilian coach Luis Felipe Scolari opted on a 4-4-2 formation that was steadily on the decline.

His decision to shift the Englishman, the team's most creative and intelligent player at that time, from centre midfield to the left wing in order to accommodate Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard. As a result, England underachieved at the Euros and the shy genius suffered from Scolari's tactical illiteracy, opting to retire early at an age of 29.

He made only 66 appearances and scored 14 times for the Three Lions. Nevertheless, he remains one of the gems that the country has ever produced, thanks to his exploits at the club level.