“I’m still not bothered by it” – When Paul Scholes reacted to Manchester United legend refusing to name him in greatest Red Devils XI
Paul Scholes once responded to his former Manchester United teammate Roy Keane snubbing him in his dream Red Devils XI. While Keane named a star studded XI, he surprisingly left the Englishman and Ryan Giggs out.
In his 2013 ITV face-off with former rival Patrick Vieira, Scholes named these XI players in his dream XI: Peter Schmeichel, Paul Parker, Jaap Stamm, Gary Pallister, Denis Irwin, Paul Ince, Roy Keane, David Beckham, Eric Cantona, Cristiano Ronald, and Ruud van Nistelrooy.
When Keane named the team, Vieira pointed out that the Irishman left Scholes out. Kearne explained (via Irish Mirror):
"Scholes, no doubt about it, I think Scholes, for me, was the best English player and one of the best United players that I played against. He can do everything."
Keane justified his choices:
"Having a great career doesn't mean you are a great player - there's a big difference. I'm not saying Giggsy wasn't (great), but do I leave out Ronaldo, one of the world's great players? Do I leave Becks out? You don't win titles by having choirboys in your dressing room."
On an early 2020 episode of Manchester United's podcast, Scholes was asked about his reaction to Keane's comments. Scholes, always a class act on the pitch, maintained his demeanor when asked about his former teammate's choice as well. He replied,:
"When people name teams, it's a matter of opinion. Me and (David) Maysy could sit here all day and pick ten different teams, the amount of brilliant players that played here, so I wasn't bothered by it. I'm still not bothered by it."
How Paul Scholes fared for Manchester United?
Paul Scholes is a true Manchester United legend. He even came back from retirement to have a brief stint back at the club. The midfielder made a massive 714 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring 153 goals and providing 75 assists.
Scholes was a 'one club' man during his playing days. He won 26 trophies with the Red Devils, including 11 English Premier League and two UEFA Champions League titles.
Scholes' second stint as a Red Devils player came to an end at the end of the 2012-13 season. While Keane snubbed the player from his dream team, fans hold a dear place for Scholes in their hearts.