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#3 Sir Alex Ferguson and Paul Scholes
The Ginger Prince is widely regarded as one of the greatest players to have graced the English top flight, with French maestro Zinedine Zidane hailing him as the “the best player of his generation.”
But perhaps the greatest tribute to the little man can be seen every weekend when Manchester United take to the field. For all of Fellaini’s huffing and puffing, Carrick’s stop-start evolution, and Rooney’s playmaking, there can be no doubt that the Red Devils have failed to replace Scholes’ presence in midfield. But then, perhaps that was never possible.
The soft-spoken Scholes was very different on the pitch – instinctive, brash and ready to take on all comers. Allied with his supreme vision and eye for goal, he was an all-action midfield presence who was as likely to play a 70 yard pass, as he was to dive in for yet another badly timed challenge.
Sir Alex was constantly surprised by his abilities and sheer mental strength, and has indeed admitted that his first impression of Scholes was that he was too “small” to succeed at the top. The Scot nurtured the prodigy’s game as the years wore on, with Scholes taking up a far more advanced role to form a great understanding with Ruud Van Nistelrooy in the early 2000’s.
Towards the end of his career, Scholes operated in the deep-lying role that Andrea Pirlo has made famous today, what with his uber-cool beard and flowing mane making his control of the game seem ever more complete.
Although not possessing that very Italian suaveness, Scholes’ intelligence and ability to take control of the game were just as complete. Not many players are implored to come out of retirement by Sir Alex at the ripe old age of 37, and what an inspired decision it was. He retired for a second time in a blaze of glory after Manchester United cantered to the League title in 2013, once again content to remain in the shadows as the world cooed over Sir Alex’s own swansong. And isn’t that just the Scholes we know and love?
