Manchester United and England midfielder Paul Scholes announced his retirement from football on this day in 2011.
A member of the famed ‘Class of 92’, Scholes made his United debut in 1994 and, at the time of his announcement, had made 676 appearances for the club, the last of which came as a substitute in the Champions League final defeat to Barcelona at Wembley.
Scholes won 10 Premier League titles with the Red Devils and, after missing the 1999 Champions League final through suspension, was part of the team that conquered Europe in 2008.
“I am not a man of many words but I can honestly say that playing football is all I have ever wanted to do,” Scholes said in a club statement.
“To have had such a long and successful career at Manchester United has been a real honour.
“This was not a decision that I have taken lightly but I feel now is the right time for me to stop playing. To have been part of the team that helped the club reach that 19th title is a great privilege.”
Scholes thanked Sir Alex Ferguson for “being such a great manager”, adding: “From the day I joined the club his door has always been open and I know this team will go on to win many more trophies under his leadership.”
After spending a few months on the coaching staff at Old Trafford, Scholes came out of retirement in January 2012 and later penned a one-year deal to continue his United career, before retiring again at the end of the 2012-13 season with another title win.
In 2014, Scholes joined fellow former Manchester United players Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt, and Phil Neville in agreeing a deal to buy non-league Salford.
Scholes had a brief spell as interim coach of Salford in 2020, having previously managed Oldham for just 31 days and winning one of his seven games in charge.
