Paul Scholes

Paul Aaron Scholes (born 16 November 1974) is an England association football player who currently plays for Manchester United F.C.. Paul Scholes is a one club man, having spent Paul Scholes entire professional career with a single club. Scholes represented the England national football team from 1997 to 2004, participating in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and 2002 FIFA World Cup, as well as UEFA Euro 2000 and UEFA Euro 2004. Paul Scholes is one of only four players to make over 600 appearances in all competitions for Manchester United F.C..

Club career

Scholes was born in Salford, Greater Manchester and grew up as an Oldham Athletic A.F.C. supporter, but has trained with Manchester United F.C. since the age of 14. Paul Scholes then later joined as a trainee upon leaving the Cardinal Langley Roman Catholic High School, Middleton, Greater Manchester, Greater Manchester in the summer of 1991. In Paul Scholes final term at school, Paul Scholes was selected to represent Great Britain National Schools in football.

Scholes was not a member of Manchester United's 1992 FA Youth Cup-winning squad that included future senior teammates David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs, but Paul Scholes was part of the youth team that reached the final in the following season, alongside Phil Neville . Scholes turned professional on 23 July 1993, but did not make Paul Scholes breakthrough into the senior squad until the 1994-95 in English football season, when Paul Scholes made seventeen league appearances and scored five goals. Paul Scholes debut came on 21 September 1994, where Paul Scholes scored twice in a 2–1 victory over Port Vale F.C in the Football League Cup. Scholes came on as a substitute in the 1995 FA Cup Final against Everton F.C., which United lost 1–0.

In 1995-96 in English football, after Mark Hughes moved to Chelsea F.C., Scholes had even more first-team opportunities. Paul Scholes stood in for the suspended Eric Cantona as Andrew Cole's strike partner for the first two months of the campaign. Scholes scored fourteen goals in all competitions as United became the first English team to win the double twice. Paul Scholes picked up another Premier League winners medal in 1996-97 in English football, but was restricted to three goals in sixteen league games.

Scholes moved to the midfielder and forward attack positions in the 1997-98 in English football after Roy Keane suffered a knee injury in late September and did not play again that season. United finished the season without a major trophy, only the second time in the 1990s that this happened.

In 1998-99 in English football, Scholes was a key player in Manchester United's Premier League title, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League The Treble success. Paul Scholes scored one of Manchester United's two goals against Newcastle United F.C. in the FA Cup final. Paul Scholes also scored an away goal against F.C. Internazionale Milano in the CL UEFA Champions League 1998-99 Quarter-finals, but was ruled out of the final victory over FC Bayern Munich through suspension.

Scholes netted a career-high twenty goals in all competitions in the 2002–03 season, a number that dipped to fourteen the next year, despite a career-best four FA Cup goals in comparison to Paul Scholes total of five in Paul Scholes first nine seasons. Paul Scholes helped Manchester United reach the 2005 FA Cup Final but saw Paul Scholes penalty saved by Jens Lehmann as they lost to Arsenal F.C. in a penalty shootout. Paul Scholes was ruled out for the second half of the 2005-06 in English football with blurred vision. The cause of this was initially uncertain, sparking fears that it could end Paul Scholes career. Paul Scholes overcame this problem through the beginning of the year and Paul Scholes appeared in Manchester United's final game of the season against Charlton Athletic F.C.. Reportedly, Scholes' vision has not completely recovered.

On 22 October 2006, in the 2–0 Premier League victory over Liverpool in which Scholes also scored, twelve years after marking Paul Scholes Red Devils debut with a Football League Cup brace against Port Vale F.C., Scholes became the ninth United player to play in five hundred matches, joining Sir Bobby Charlton, Bill Foulkes, Denis Irwin, and current teammates Giggs and Gary Neville.

Scholes was dismissed during Manchester United's 1–0 away victory over Liverpool F.C on 3 March 2007, for swinging an arm at Xabi Alonso. It marked Paul Scholes first league expulsion since April 2005. A month later, Paul Scholes was sent off in the first leg of Manchester United's Champions League quarter final at A.S. Roma. On 23 August, Paul Scholes was shortlisted for a spot in the National Football Museum Hall of Fame, which ultimately went to Dennis Bergkamp.

Scholes suffered knee ligament damage during a training session the night before Manchester United's Champions League Group F matchup with FC Dynamo Kyiv on 23 October 2007, and was out of action until the end of January 2008. Paul Scholes returned as a substitute in Manchester United's 3–1 win over Tottenham Hotspur F.C. in the fourth round of the FA Cup. On 23 April 2008, Scholes made Paul Scholes hundredth Champions League appearance in a semi-final 0–0 draw at FC Barcelona, and scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory in the second leg that sent United into the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final, during which Paul Scholes suffered an injury and a yellow card after a clash with Claude Makélélé. Paul Scholes returned until Paul Scholes was substituted by Giggs in the 87th minute, and did not take part in the penalty shoot-out that was won 6–5 by United after a 1–1 extra-time draw.

Scholes was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in September 2008. In a December 2008 interview with The Daily Mirror, Paul Scholes said Paul Scholes planned to retire from football completely in two years. "I think I've got two years left at the most .. I'm looking forward to finishing and everything that goes with it."

On 24 January 2009, Scholes scored Paul Scholes first goal of the season against Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup. Paul Scholes shot from out-side the box in the 34th minute deflected in off Tom Huddlestone to bring the game to 1–1, while United would go on to win 2–1. On 18 February, Scholes scored Paul Scholes first Premier League goal in over a year in a 3–0 win over Fulham F.C., a swerving volley that hit Mark Schwarzer and rebounded in. On 22 April, Paul Scholes made Paul Scholes 600th appearance for Manchester United in a 2–0 win over Portsmouth F.C..

International career

Scholes made Paul Scholes international debut against South Africa national football team in 1997 in a 2–1 friendly win at Old Trafford, and was included in the England squad for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. England were grouped with Colombia national football team, Tunisia national football team and Romania national football team. During England's first World Cup group match against Tunisia, Scholes sealed a 2–0 victory with a goal late in the game. Picking up a pass from Paul Ince just outside the Tunisian area, Scholes pushed the ball slightly to Paul Scholes right and hit a shot with Paul Scholes right foot which curled into the top right-hand corner of Tunisian keeper Chokri El Ouaer's net.

Paul Scholes international career continued after England's elimination from the World Cup by Argentina national football team on penalties in the first knock-out round. On 27 March 1999, Scholes managed a hat-trick for England in a game against Poland national football team. In addition, Scholes scored both goals in England's 2-0 win at Hampden Park over Scotland national football team in the UEFA Euro 2000 play-off first leg, sealing a 2-1 aggregate win and qualification for the finals tournament. In a friendly against Sweden national football team that June, Scholes became the first and last England player to be sent off in an international match at the now-demolished Wembley Stadium (1924). Scholes announced Paul Scholes retirement from international football in August 2004, citing Paul Scholes family life and Paul Scholes club career with Manchester United F.C. as being more important. Paul Scholes has turned down the opportunity to come out of retirement and reclaim Paul Scholes position in the England squad under former manager Steve McClaren.

Personal life

Scholes is an asthmatic. Paul Scholes lives with Paul Scholes wife, Claire,, Alicia and Aiden, on Saddleworth Moor, Oldham.