Scholes: So scary asking boss if I could play again

PAUL SCHOLES admitted he was ‘scared’ when he approached Alex Ferguson about making a return to football earlier this month.

Scholes returned to action for Manchester United in their FA Cup victory at Manchester City two weeks ago, eight months after he had retired from football to concentrate on coaching. The 37-year-old realised he had a made a mistake in retiring prematurely and approached Ferguson about making a comeback.

He said: “After two months training with the youth team I felt I could still play. I ended up playing in some games and was getting fitter and fitter so went to see the manager. I was scared. I wasn’t sure what sort of reaction I’d get. I told the boss I wanted to play again. He was brilliant.”

Ferguson revealed that coach Warren Joyce first alerted him to the player’s change of heart. “He [Joyce] said that Scholesy was training like a beast with the youth team, and I thought ‘surely he’s not thinking of coming back?’

“Then I got a knock on my door and he [Scholes] said: ‘I made a mistake. I want to come back’. I was delighted. There were no negatives. The players loved it, I loved it, the staff and supporters did too. He’s welcome back.”

Scholes said he soon slotted back into the tempo of a side chasing a record 20th league title. “You have to adjust physically but also mentally. It takes a bit of getting used to, but the advantage I have is that I’d been at the club for the past five months, so I saw the lads on a daily basis and it wasn’t too difficult to settle back in.”

And Scholes also gave some encouragement to those observers, like his former teammate Teddy Sheringham, who believe his experience would be invaluable for England at Euro 2012.

But now he has hinted he might consider an international return. “Who knows?” he said. “I wasn’t playing too well so I decided to retire. I preferred to be at home rather than go to tournaments, but I was very tempted by South Africa.”

Scholes was speaking at a Football Writers’ Association dinner in tribute to himself and Gary Neville, who called the midfielder “the best I’ve ever played with. He is constantly mentioned in the same breath as [Zinedine] Zidane and Xavi, players who can control a game. He is a great player.”

Scholes played as substitute on Sunday as United beat Arsenal to keep within one victory of catching City at the top of the table, and said: “It is all about being in the right place when the end of the season comes. Funny things can happen towards the end of the season.”