Paul Scholes snubs Cristiano Ronaldo, Rooney and Giggs; names ex-Manchester United star he would sign for Amorim

Iconic Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has named Roy Keane as the player he would bring back to the current United setup. He added that he picked Keane ahead of Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Ryan Giggs due to the Irishman's leadership capabilities.

In a discussion in one of the newest episodes of The Overlap Fan Debate, Scholes was asked by Jamie Carragher (via GiveMeSport):

“If there was a player from the past that you could sign for Manchester United right now, in terms of what they need, who would it be?”

Scholes responded:

“Roy Keane, all day long. There are players like Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs… but Roy Keane. They really miss not just a player who can control a game of football, but also that leadership around the place. I think that is something that's sadly lacking."

Manchester United endured the worst run in a Premier League campaign last term. They ended the 2024-25 campaign in 15th place with only 42 points from 38 league outings.

The Red Devils also struggled to organize and motivate themselves on the pitch. Despite having an opportunity to redeem their season, they lost the Europa League final 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur.

While a clear restructuring is anticipated this summer, Scholes believes United are in need of a leader who could dictate happenings on the pitch.

"Hurt me a little bit" - Rio Ferdinand on Manchester United's failure to sign Jeremie Frimpong

Day 1 - Champions Festival - UEFA Champions League Final 2025 - Source: Getty

Former United defender Rio Ferdinand has revealed that Frimpong's move to Liverpool ‘hurts him a little bit’. The Englishman also claimed that Frimpong's style of play would have soothed Ruben Amorim's formation.

On his podcast Rio Ferdinand Presents on YouTube, he revealed (via United In Focus):

“[Frimpong going to Liverpool] will hurt me a little bit. He just fits how Ruben Amorim wants to play perfectly. A centre-forward and a central midfielder should be next. An experienced No. 9, I’d be advising the transfer team to get an experienced No. 9 next.”

Frimpong is well known to be a right-back with a decent degree of proficiency to deliver in attack while carrying out his defensive duties. However, the Dutchman opted to join Liverpool as a replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has completed a move to Real Madrid.

About the author

Abel is an European football journalist who focuses primarily on analysis pieces and preview copies at Sportskeeda. A B.Sc degree holder in Economics, he has a previous work experience of 3 years – a year at Opera News Hub where he was promoted as a 'Verified Sports Writer,’ and over two years at Sportskeeda as a revenue-share writer, where his writing skills have ultimately led him to be integrated into the in-house team.

A Manchester United fan who grew up in a family of Red Devils supporters, he started his journey as an ardent football fan in his childhood. He used to spend hours watching the sport with his family and developed a knack for writing about the beautiful game over the years.

He is a huge admirer of Paul Pogba owing to the midfielder's ability to thread passes from anywhere on the pitch and his favorite manager is Jose Mourinho due to the Portuguese's tactical mind. He feels France's triumph in 2018 is his all-time favorite World Cup moment, and reckons Lamine Yamal and Endrick could replicate the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Abel always strives to verify information, especially statistics, before penning a word and offers constructive but not defamatory criticisms. Apart from Europe's top five leagues, he follows the Eredivisie and the Primeira Liga. He loves to spend his free time playing video games like EA FC and watching movies.

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Edited by Ritwik Kumar