A wonderful player, if potentilaly overhyped by the English press along with Giggs. Both have been great servants, but Scholes never really reached the heights of a Vieira, Xavi, Keane, etc. All the best to him.

Most professional footballers and managers would disagree.

He was easily a better player than Roy Keane.

Caligula wrote:

A wonderful player, if potentilaly overhyped by the English press along with Giggs. Both have been great servants, but Scholes never really reached the heights of a Vieira, Xavi, Keane, etc. All the best to him.

He was never up there with those guys but I wouldn't say he was overrated either. He's the best English mid of his generation, only Lampard challenge him on that.

qs! wrote:
Caligula wrote:

A wonderful player, if potentilaly overhyped by the English press along with Giggs. Both have been great servants, but Scholes never really reached the heights of a Vieira, Xavi, Keane, etc. All the best to him.

He was never up there with those guys but I wouldn't say he was overrated either. He's the best English mid of his generation, only Lampard challenge him on that.

Agree with this, QS. To the others, I'm in no way saying he's crap, but there are different levels of superstar, and he just didn't hit the peaks those guys dido. Yep, for longevity, he's outdone the lot; but none of us will be raving about him 10 years from now.

Thats the thing that annoys me about Giggs and Scholes and how they are rated, they seem to get into alot of "best of" teams because they were good for a very long time but to me thats not as good as being utterly amazing for a shorter time frame.

Probably the one United player that I've never really hated. Top class player.

A quick google search for the Zidane quotes brought this up:

Micah Richards : "He's always in the right position, always seems to be at the end of the box when the ball drops in. The complete midfielder - when he's fit, he's the best. Some go missing but he's in the right place at the right time. He's my favourite player of all-time, unbelievable. If you give him a chance it's a goal, isn't it?"

Glenn Hoddle : "There isn’t a player of his mould anywhere else in the world."

Terry Venables : "He’s the best one- or two-touch passer in the country. He sees the game unlike any other player."

Alan Shearer : "If you ask footballers to pick out the player they most admire, so many of them will pick Paul Scholes. He can tackle, and his passing and shooting is of the highest level. He’s the most consistent and naturally gifted player we’ve had for a long, long time."

Eidur Gudjohnsen : "I'm more an admirer of Paul Scholes than I am of Ronaldo. Ronaldo is a fantastic player, but he has 10 other great players around him every week...Scholes is one of the most complete footballers I've ever seen. His one-touch play is phenomenal. Whenever I have played against him, I never felt I could get close to him."

Edgar Davids : ""Every one of us (midfielders) is just trying to become as good as him. Everyone can learn from Paul Scholes."

Edgar Davids : "I'm not the best, Paul Scholes is."

Tony Adams : "I really rate Paul Scholes, because he hasn't got the high profile of many of the Manchester United players, he doesn't get too much attention, but he is one very good player. He is an intelligent player, he works hard and he scores some great goals. He is not flamboyant and is a quiet lad off the pitch but he is a tremendous asset to Manchester United and to England. He has already got my vote as player of the year."

Cesc Fabregas : "He is the one whose level I aspire to. He is the best player in the Premier League."

Patrick Vieira : "The player in the Premiership I admire most? Easy - Scholes."

Thierry Henry : "I can't understand why Scholes has never won the player of the year award. He should have won it long ago. Maybe it's because he doesn't seek the limelight like some of the other 'stars'."

Zinedine Zidane : "My toughest opponent? Scholes of Manchester. He is the complete midfielder."

Zinedine Zidane : "Scholes is undoubtedly the best midfielder of his generation."

Sam Allardyce : "There is not a better midfield player in the world."

Kevin Keegan : "What United have got that Chelsea haven't is Paul Scholes. I think he is different to anything else in English football."

Marcello Lippi : "Paul Scholes would have been one of my first choices for putting together a great team - that goes to show how highly I have always rated him. Scholes is a player I have always liked, because he combines great talent and technical ability with mobility, determination and a superb shot. He is an all-round midfielder who possesses character and quality in abundance. In my opinion, he's been one of the most important players for United under Sir Alex."

Ray Wilkins : "I'm saddened because I think we as spectators, not only in this country but right through out Europe and the rest of the World, will be missing one hell of a footballer."

Gordon Strachan : "Paul Scholes has been the best England midfield player for 30-odd years. You'd probably have to go back to Bobby Charlton to find someone who could do as much as Scholes. When the ball arrives at his feet he could tell you where every player on that pitch is at that moment. His awareness is superb."

Veron while at Chelsea being asked in an interview who's the best english player : "Paul Scholes."

Peter Schmeichel : "People say he is a great player, but you have to define what a great player is, For me, it is a player who has a bottom level that means his worst performance is not noticed.If he is having a bad game, a team-mate might feel Paul Scholes is not quite on his game, but a spectator wouldn't notice. Scholes, of all the players I have played with, has the highest bottom level. His reading of the game is unsurpassed.He has an eye for a pass, for what the play or the game needs at that precise moment, that I have never seen anyone else have. He controls and distributes the play and the game better than anyone I have ever seen."

Laurent Blanc : "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 field. Phew!"

David Beckham said that, among his teammates at Real Madrid, which included Zinedine Zidane, Raúl, Ronaldo, Luís Figo and Roberto Carlos, Scholes was the most admired opponent : "He's always one of those people others talk about. Even playing at Real Madrid, the players always say to me 'what's he like'? They respect him as a footballer...

Needless to say, I feel some of you are severely underrating Scholes as a player.

Xavi just before we played them in February

‘In the last 15 to 20 years the best central midfielder that I have seen — the most complete — is Scholes. I have spoken with Xabi Alonso about this many times. Scholes is a spectacular player who has everything.

‘He can play the final pass, he can score, he is strong, he never gets knocked off the ball and he doesn’t give possession away. If he had been Spanish then maybe he would have been valued more.’

Maybe Scholes is more of a player/manager's player. Who knows.

Zidane:

“He’s almost untouchable in what he does. I never tire of watching him play. You rarely come across the complete footballer, but Scholes is as close to it as you can get.

“One of my regrets is that the opportunity to play alongside him never presented itself during my career.”

“He is the type of player you want on your side, not in ­opposition because he could do so much damage.

“He is very gifted. He makes the game look easy because he’s so much natural ­ability.”

I don't hate Scholes, so this isn't me being a biased Arsenal fan - he was a very good player, amongst the best in the world in his pomp, but nowhere near as good as those quotes would have you believe. Nowhere close.

You could find a collection of quotes saying similar things about Fabregas, not to the same degree, but not a million miles off, and he's only just turned 24. A collection of qotes about Xavi or Iniesta would probably top Scholes' praise. I think it must just be the type of player that coaches/other players wish they could be.

I've heard him been described as a liability many a time too. That's not great

He's 36 mate, pre- almost going blind in 2005 he was one of the best players about easily (and it was that period from where most of those quotes will have come).