Scholes: I won’t change my mind this time
United midfielder Scholes announced his retirement for a second time on Saturday, having resumed his career in January 2012 after initially quitting the game at the end of the 2010-’11 season.
The 38-year-old former England man started yesterday’s game and played for over an hour before being replaced by Anderson.
“It’s been a good day. We won the game and that’s all that matters. We’ve picked the trophy up and we’ll celebrate tonight,” he said afterwards.
“I haven’t played for four or five months so it was just nice to get through the game and win it.
“I thought it went quite well. You thought it would have been quite emotional for him [Ferguson] but he spoke well at the end of the game and he has done a fantastic job here, that goes without saying.
“He’s just happy now and is looking forward to what the team are going to do next year and hopefully we can go on from here and win more trophies.”
On his retirement, he said: “I know it’s the right time. It’s not the season I would like to have had but we’ve won a trophy and that’s all that matters to the team.
“It’s a great day. We won the game and won the league.”
Scholes is notoriously media-shy and joked that the news surrounding Ferguson’s retirement after more than 26 years in charge at United — plus continued speculation about Wayne Rooney’s future, had given him the opportunity to slip away quietly.
“It couldn’t be any better could it?” Scholes said.
“Wayne Rooney asking for a transfer — there’s not much else that can go well for me.
“Yeah, it’s the perfect weekend for me. [My] last game and I will just slip under the radar and off I go.”
He made his 717th Manchester United appearance yesterday after making his debut on September 21, 1994 in a League Cup game against Port Vale. And he revealed there will be no changing his mind about retirement this time.
“I think this is it. I’m sure this is it,” Scholes said.
“It’s probably not the season I would have liked to go out on but the last four months have been quite difficult with injury, with my knee and trying to get back fit again.
“I’m totally convinced. I was convinced last time to be honest with you.
“At the time you are but I know now in my head that I have gone as far as I possibly can physically.
“This is the end. Again.”
Scholes has made only a handful of appearances this year after he suffered a knee injury in January and he last played in the Premier League in December last year.
He has won 11 Premier League titles, three FA Cups, two League Cups, five Community Shields and two Champions League titles with the club.
Scholes is unsure what the future holds for him, following Ferguson’s departure from Old Trafford.
“The manager wanted me to be on the coaching side but it’s going to be a different manager,” he said.
“I don’t know what the new manager will want.
“But yeah, I would like to be in charge of my own team and in charge of my own players and try and make a team play the way I like football to be played.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
