Paul Scholes- The Unseen Genius!

    When we think of soccer today, many would think of FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi. This is understandably so, as at the time of writing they are the most complete soccer team on the face of the earth, playing a brand of soccer most could only dream of. With this been said, when Pep Guardiola, the current manager of the Catalan club was asked who he would sign if he had the opportunity, his response may surprise a lot of people. His answer was simple and firm, Paul Scholes.

"Out of everyone at Manchester United, I would pick out Scholes – he is the best midfielder of his generation,"-Josep Guardiola



    Not only one of the most underrated players of his generation, Paul Scholes must go down as one of the most unappreciated players of all time. Though many of the worlds greatest soccer players and coaches such as Zinedine Zidane, Xavi, and Josep Guradiola have all heaped praise on the midfield meistro, the world of football has seemingly never taken notice. That was until January 2012, when the little magician came out of retirement, and has taken United back to the summit, almost singlehandedly changing United from title hopefuls, to title contenders.

    It is not just his performances that sets Scholes apart, he is a winner. Listen to anybody who has ever played with him or even trained with him, and they will say he was the best they have seen. Any Former or Current United player would want to be on his team in training, because it will be his team that wins. We all know players like this at whatever level we play at, but for a player to make such a difference at the very top is something that you cannot argue with.

    As stated previously, praise has been heaped on Scholes by current and former professionals, and none say it better than Zinedine Zidane:

'You rarely come across the complete footballer, but Scholes is as close to it as you can get. One of my regrets is that the opportunity to play alongside him never presented itself during my career.'

    This comment coming from Zidane, arguably the greatest player to have ever lived. A man who has lead his country to a World and European Cup, who has won a UEFA Cup and Champions League, along with many other titles, whilst also been named FIFA World Player of the year on three separate occasions (1998, 2000, 2003). The list of achievements could go on and on, but the point is that if a man of Zidane’s stature in the world of soccer can recognize Scholes as one of the most complete players he has ever played against, how can so many be missing the man’s genius.
   
    There is obvious reason why Scholes has been under the radar throughout such an illustrious career. He rarely speaks to the media, nor has never been outlandish with his fame and fortune, opting for a simple life with his family. Outside of Old Trafford and Manchester United’s Carrington training ground, nobody really knows the man Paul Scholes. But from the little bits of information you can gather from ex teammates and coaches, Scholes is every bit the team player. In the world of soccer where reality is so distorted from the real world, Paul Scholes seems like a mere mortal stuck inside a world of glitz and glamour. Coming through the United youth ranks with the likes of David Beckham you could just imagine the little ginger getting pushed and bullied by the bigger cooler looking kids. But this was never the case, and though Scholes questioned his own ability at a younger age, it was there for all to see.
   
    Paul Scholes as a player does things with the ball that no one else can, and the fact is he makes it look so easy. He has been the catalyst for much of United’s success over the years, and has gone about his job without needing the spotlight, because at the end of the day the medals speak for themselves. Throughout his career Scholes has won 10 Premier League Titles, 3 FA Cup’s, 2 Football League Cup’s, 5 FA Community Shield’s, 2 UEFA Champions Leagues, 1 Intercontinental Cup, and 1 FIFA Club World Cup. There are few players in the history of the game who have accomplished so much, and there are none that have done it with more dignity and class than Paul Scholes.

Paul Scholes- Holding the Champions League Trophy

   It has never been easy for Scholes, having made his debut on 21st September, 1994. He was playing in a league that at the time was dominated by power and strength and not the European style you see today. Today we can look around any major league in the world and see that the worlds best central midfielders are smaller than most other player, but Scholes began playing at a time when this just was not the case. Standing only 5’7 he had to scrap and fight his way around, something that has been the somewhat of a trademark of his career, and sadly this is what he has been remembered for, rather than his out and out class as a footballer. For me, Scholes was the first of a new generation of midfielders, and he genuinely changed the face of modern day soccer. Just look at the likes of FC Barcelona and you will see Xavi (5’7), Andres Iniesta (5’7), Javier Mascherano (5’9), and Cesc Fabregas (5’10). Nobody would ever doubt that these are some of the greatest midfielder of our time, and currently playing in what could go down as the greatest side of all time. We do not question these players genius because now it is the norm, but for Scholes he had to spend years battling against bigger and stronger opponents. Much of what he did was lost because of the English mentally to use brute force rather than skill. The continental game has brought Scholsey’s genius to light, but believe me, it was there long before.

    When Paul Scholes finally retires for good, the Premier League will lose the best and most consistent player it has ever seen. He was never a superstar, but that is never what he wanted. There have been many players who have been more flamboyant and shown extraordinary skill, but not one of these players has had the ability to control and change the game the way Paul Scholes has.

Paul Scholes- The Premiership will never be the same.

    To leave you with a couple of quotes from two of the all time Premier League greats, it was Thierry Henry who said, "Without any doubt the best player in the Premiership has to be Scholes... He knows how to do everything.". His former Arsenal Manager Arsene Wenger reiterated these sentiments by saying 'I believe Paul Scholes is still one of the greatest football players in England and his contribution to the success of Man United is absolutely huge.”

    Paul Scholes, the most underrated player the world has ever seen!