Paul Scholes - Legend

May 31^st, 2011 will always be a day to remember.

It was the day Paul Scholes decided to call time on his outstanding career.

This marked the end for a player adored by his teammates, admired by players all over the world, but underrated by sections of the British media.

The respect for Scholes from his fellow pros is such that in the build-up to last month’s Champions League final, Barcelona’s Xavi stated that he was the best midfield player of ‘the past 15 to 20 years’.

This admiration for Scholes extended on to the pitch after the final whistle of the Wembley final when Lionel Messi, Xavi, Sergio Busquets and Pedro all approached him for his shirt. Unfortunately for them Andres Iniesta had already beaten them to the chase.

I’ve been fortunate enough to see many great players at Old Trafford, from Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo, to Lionel Messi and Raul but for me Scholes is the stand-out player.

Getting into Old Trafford too early was never a bad thing just because you could see Scholes warm-up and train. Watching him was a privilege.

Over the course of his 17 years in the Manchester United first team, Scholes moved from a striker, to a central midfielder, and recently to a deep-lying midfield playmaker.

It is that positional transition that underlines how great a footballer he is.

Very few players have the technical ability and tactical awareness to completely change their role and position within a team so comfortably, let alone a team that has dominated the English game for 20 years, but Scholes has made it look easy.

For me, this point is highlighted further by the recent form of Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.

They, like Scholes at an earlier age, are famous for their goals from midfield but this season has highlighted that they are no longer at the peak of their powers.

But will they be able to adapt and change the way they play as effectively as Scholes did to give them longevity at the highest level of the game?  I strongly doubt it.

Scholes’ superior footballing ability has enabled him to stay in the Manchester United first-team from the age of 19 to 36, in which time he has won 10 league titles, 3 FA Cups, 2 League Cups and 1 Champions League.

On top of his 16 major honours, Scholes has scored some of the most memorable goals in Premier League history. The volleys from the edge of the area at Bradford, and at Villa Park will never be forgotton, while his goals against Manchester City were always crucial.

Then of course there was that goal against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final 2^nd leg that saw United to progress to the Moscow Final in 2008.

Meanwhile, England fans will no doubt remember his two goals against Scotland at Hampden Park in the Euro 2000 qualifier, his hat-trick at Wembley against Poland in 1999 and stunning strike against Tunisia in England’s first game at the 1998 World Cup.

As well as his goals, Scholes will always be remembered for his ability to keep the ball. Former United captain Gary Neville described Scholes’ footballing philosophy as ‘pass you to death football’, while Rio Ferdinand recently revealed that Scholes was known as 'Sat Nav'.

Having the technical ability and general awareness to retain the ball, particularly in the centre of the pitch, is something players are lacking in the Premier League where there seems to be more respect for players who run around like headless chickens and give ‘110%’.

But maybe with the success of Barcelona over that past five years, players and the press in England are beginning to appreciate the importance of a philosophy that Scholes epitomised for his entire career. 
As a result, maybe in years to come people will look back upon Scholes' career and fully realise just how good he was.

World Class is a term used far too loosely to describe footballers, but in Scholes’ case it couldn’t be more fitting.

Every United fan would agree that it has been an honour to watch him over the past two decades and the void that he leaves behind is impossible to fill.

One of Scholes' great admirers is the legendary Zinedine Zindane who will forever remember Scholes as “the greatest midfielder of his generation and my toughest opponent”.

Suitable praise for a stunning footballer. 

Images from dailymail.co.uk & footymatters.com. Video from the Guardian Sport website: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport