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18. PAUL SCHOLES
Birthdate: 16 Nov 1974
Birthplace: Salford, England
Position: Midfielder
Appearances: 604
Goals: 142
Joined United: 08 Jul 1991
United Debut: 21 Sep 1994 v Port Vale (A)
International: England (retired)
You must have a rare and special football talent to impress the great Sir Bobby Charlton. The United legend sums up Paul Scholes perfectly: "He’s always so in control and pinpoint accurate with his passing – a beautiful player to watch."
Part of the new wave of talent that ushered in Beckham, Giggs, Butt and the Neville brothers in the mid-1990s, Salford-born Scholes scored twice on his debut in the League Cup at Port Vale in 1994/95 – and on his first league outing against Ipswich – and hasn't looked back.
A host of golden seasons at Old Trafford include 1995/96’s Double-winning campaign, in
which he covered admirably during Eric Cantona’s suspension, finishing second behind the Frenchman in the scoring charts with 14 goals; he was a cornerstone of 1999’s Treble-winners, although suspension ruled him out of the UEFA Champions League final, and in United’s Premier League success in 2003, his 20-goal haul was vital.
Neat and compact, a misplaced Scholes pass remains one of the rarest sights in football. His superb eye for goal and late runs from midfield also served his country superbly on 66 occasions.
An eye problem kept the man the fans dubbed the 'Ginger Prince’ out of action for a large part of 2005/06, but he burst back onto the scene during the 2006/07 title-winning campaign, playing a key role in helping the Reds reclaim the Premier League crown. Personal highlights included his opener in the 2-0 win over Liverpool in October 2006 and a volley of the highest calibre in the 3-0 win at Aston Villa two months later, which earned him the Goal of the Season Award at the club's Player Awards ceremony.
His contribution was recognised by players and press alike - he finished third in the PFA Player of the Year category and fourth in the Football Writers' vote - both of which were won by team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo.
His good form continued the following season as he helped the Reds to a glorious double and finally buried the UEFA Champions League ghost of '99 when his stunning strike against Barcelona in April 2008, booked United's, and his own place, in the final in Moscow.
Having started United’s first four Premier League games in 08/09, Scholes then missed two months of action after suffering a medial ligament injury in the victory away to Aalborg. When he returned for the festive period, Sir Alex proclaimed: “It is like having an extra player.” The Reds stalwart looked as influential as ever, and when he didn’t start he often came on to steady the tempo of games and help close out narrow league victories. His opener in United’s 3-0 victory over Fulham in February 2009 – a game he dominated – proved he hasn’t lost his deadly ability to score from distance. Carrick’s corner found Scholes in a familiar position at the edge of the area, and he rolled back the years to thunder in a 25-yard volley that was simply too hot for Mark Schwarzer to handle. He followed that with a vintage header away at Sunderland in April 2009, and, in his 600th game for the Reds, delivered a masterclass in ball retention against
Portsmouth ten days later.
Now in the top four highest ever appearance makers and the top twelve highest goalscorers at the club, Scholes is, indisputably, one of the finest talents in United's history, and he's still going strong - in October 2008 he was rewarded with a one-year contract extension, taking him through to June 2010.
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