The quiet man calls it a day

A look back at the career of Paul Scholes who announced his retirement on Tuesday.

A member of a select group of one-club players, this quiet, unassuming character may be a man of few words, but his performances have lit up the Premier League over the last two decades, writes Stewart Coggin.
Scholes helped United win 10 Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues, three FA Cups and two League Cups.
"I am not a man of many words but I can honestly say that playing football is all I have ever wanted to do and to have had such a long and successful career at Manchester United has been a real honour," he said.
One of that unique crop of youngsters brought through by manager Sir Alex Ferguson in the early 1990s, Scholes has combined with the likes of Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Nicky Butt and the Neville brothers as United emerged as the dominant force domestically since the Premier League's inception in 1992.

Blessed with superb vision, a deadly eye for goal and the ability to dictate the tempo of a match, Scholes' displays have been one of the cornerstones of the most successful period in Manchester United's history.
He made his debut in a 2-1 League Cup victory over Port Vale in September 1994, scoring both goals. His Premier League debut came against Ipswich Town three days later as he again scored in a 3-2 defeat.
Scholes won his first Premier League title in the 1995-96 season and helped the club to titles in five of the next seven seasons, proving the ideal partner for Roy Keane and Nicky Butt in the central midfield. He was an integral part of the 1999 treble winning team, his goal against Newcastle United in the FA Cup final and strike against Inter Milan in the Champions League quarter finals vital to the team's success.

A prolific scorer from midfield, Scholes racked up 102 Premier League goals for United. A stunning right-foot volley from a David Beckham corner against Bradford City in 2000, another at Aston Villa in 2006 and an excellent solo strike at home to Blackburn Rovers the following year are among his most memorable strikes.
Scholes appeared in the 2008 Champions League final victory over Chelsea, exorcising the demons of 1999 when he missed the showpiece against Bayern Munich at Camp Nou through suspension.
"I don't have my medals on show," he said in typically understated fashion. "They're just locked away somewhere. I got a medal in 1999, but I don't view myself as a double Champions League winner. You've got to play in the final for it to count."

Scholes is a family man. Indeed, his wife Claire and the arrival of two children (Scholes now has three children, Arron, Alicia and Aiden) were major factors in his decision to retire from international football in 2004. His desire to continue performing at the peak of his powers at club level was also significant. Many critics felt he retired from England duty too early, although team-mates were aware that he had been considering standing down for up to a year before making the official announcement after Euro 2004.
The decision ensured that Scholes would carry on performing at a high level for United, with fewer games and less travelling meaning more recuperation time. Indeed, he played some of his best football in the 2009/10 campaign where he had critics purring at his ability to run matches well into his 30s.
Named as most difficult opponent by none other than Zinedine Zidane, Scholes slowed down in the 2010/11 season but still played his part in the club's record breaking 19th title win.
His absence will be felt by United who have the unenviable task of finding another player with such vast repertoire of skills.