A Tribute to The Quiet Man

If nothing go wrong in the next 4 hours, when Manchester United take on Liverpool on 7 PM tonight, Paul Scholes will be making the 500th appearance for Manchester United. Only 8 players in Manchester United history have played more games than him, and only two players in the current squad who have more appearance than him, which is Ryan Giggs, and Gary Neville.

While Giggs has been touted for greatness from the day he walked in to Old Trafford as a 14 years old, it's quite surprising to see now that there are people who are sceptics whether Scholes would make it as a professional footballer back then. Les Kershaw, United Youth Academy director still remember how the 16 years old Scholes in the youth team.

"At 16, we could play Scholesy for only 20 minutes a game. He couldn't run. He was a little one. Had asthma. No strength. No power. No athleticism. No endurance". "You've got a bleedin' dwarf!" someone mentioned to Brian Kidd, United youth team coach back then. But the United coach know better, since for all the negative qualities, Scholes vision and technique was miles above any 16 years old he'd ever seen. They stuck by him, and 499 appearance and 131 goals later, it was a worthy gamble.

Many people who has seen Scholes play goes as far that he was naturally the most gifted footballer the islands has ever produce since Paul Gascogine, but his quiet and shy demeanor meant that individual awards rarely comes his way. Not that it bothered him that much. This is the player, probably the only player in the Premiership who does not have an agent. He doesn't like all the hurly burly of publicity, he likes to keep everything simple and efficient. Just like his football.

But his peers and people in the game knows better. Thierry Henry called him the best midfielder in Britain. Juan Sebastian Veron, who came to United only heard about David Beckham, realised that Scholes is the best midfielder at United during his time in the club. Even Patrick Vieira, called him the best midfielder he ever played against. Kieron Dyer, who secretly wished that he'll replace Scholes in England midfield in the future admitted that "Paul Scholes is on a different planet". And in Laurent Blanc, he got his biggest admirer. When Blanc got interviewed for the Euro 2004 match buildup of England vs France, he swifly said, "Paul Scholes. I've said it before and I tell everyone who asks me: Scholes is the best English player. Intelligence, technique, strength . . . all the attributes are there. At Manchester United I saw what he could do on the training ground. Phew!".

Played as a deep lying forward as a youngster and early in his career at United, Paul Scholes was dubbed "The Ginger Prince" by the United faithful, because of his red hair and seen as the understudy of The King's, Eric Cantona. Described by Sir Alex Ferguson as the "most natural finisher" at United, he racked up two goals in his debut at the League Cup match against Port Vale in 1994, and scored further 5 goals in the next 17 league matches when he replaced Cantona when the Frenchmen got banned for the rest of the season due to the famous kung-fu kick incident.

But he didn't become a permanent fixture in the side until the 1997-1998 season. When Roy Keane knee ligament gave up for the remainder of the season, up came Scholes to Keane place in United midfield. Together with fellow youth-team mate Nicky Butt, he formed the central midfield pairing which enabled United to race into an eleven point lead in the league, before further injuries and fatigue see Arsenal pipped them for the title in the closing stage of the season.

But that season proved to be his baptism of fire. Scholes come out from it a much better player. His performances earned him his first England cap, in the Turnoi de France match against Italy, where he scored a goal and assist the other in the 2-0 win. He was named Man of the Match. He scored again in his first World Cup match later that month, a super curling shot from outside of the area in the 2-0 win against Tunisia. And he hasn't look back ever since.

Now, retired from England duties, and fully focused on his United career, Paul Scholes is on the best form of his life. His goal against FC Copenhagen last week was a typical Scholes goal. Received the ball from Patrice Evra, he took one touch to set himself before lashing out a right foot drive from 5 yards outside the area into the top corner. Simple, efficient and deadly. That's Scholes for you.