Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes took some time recently to look back on his storied career. Here’s what he had to say about the one key quality that a midfield savant should possess at the club. With 718 appearances and 155 goals for Manchester United, Scholes has cemented himself in the club’s history. Yet his nearly two-decade-long tenure provides his insights not just authority but urgency.
Scholes added that positional classifications like the old number 6, 8, or 10 label are generally in vogue nowadays. He argues we should set a new definition of what a midfielder is, rooted in their values and attributes. He stated, “It’s a little bit different when I played because you hear these number 6s, number 8s, number 10s, I suppose, come into that midfield role as well.” For Scholes, a truly versatile midfield player at Manchester United was the ideal. To do that, they need to adopt a comprehensive approach to the sport.
Throughout his career, Scholes saw the midfield role change drastically. He highlighted how crucial it is to be flexible these days in football. “You can attack, you can defend, you can be part of everything. That’s your job as a midfield player for Manchester United,” he explained. He drew parallels to past legends like Brian Robson and Roy Keane, stating, “I go back to Brian Robson, Roy Keane, Nicky Butts, [they] are capable of doing everything.”
As Manchester United prepare for another busy summer transfer window to bolster their midfield options, Scholes believes in the potential of young talents such as Kobbie Mainoo. His long-term vision for Mainoo is that of a dynamic, creative playmaker. Naturally, he imagines him meshing instantly with more established professionals like Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte. “I think Kobbie Mainoo is more than capable of being that playmaker, next to a Casemiro or a [Manuel] Ugarte,” he said.
Scholes lauded Casemiro for his experience, tactical awareness and game-reading abilities. Though Casemiro is not the most physical player, he brought up how these skills still manifest themselves. “Casemiro isn’t the most physical, but he’s streetwise. He knows the position; he’s done it for so many years in a great Real Madrid team, so he’s got that experience,” Scholes remarked. This mixture of experience and intelligence is key to helping younger players such as Mainoo prosper.
Aside from Mainoo, Scholes further emphasized the depth of quality and competition amongst Manchester United’s midfield prospects. Lauded young midfielder Carlos Baleba as the next Moises Caicedo. He made the bold declaration that Adam Wharton is a better player than Baleba. I just think Wharton’s got a touch more quality. That’s tough saying that. I believe he has higher quality than Baleba,” he said.
While recognizing Baleba’s physical attributes, Scholes noted that “Baleba’s got more legs, so that evens itself out a little bit.” He acknowledged the close competition between Elliot Anderson and Wharton in terms of ability: “It’s close between Elliot Anderson and Wharton. I’d just pick Wharton.”
As Scholes would have it, the ultimately ideal Manchester United midfielder was a total footballer, a fabled complete midfielder. This difference maker should be a complete athlete and skill player. “I see the ideal Manchester United midfielder as being able to do everything,” he concluded.
Even if the accolades don’t always match up to the unparalleled trophy collection Scholes built during his time at Manchester United. This accomplishment precedes many English professional clubs and provides a fresh lens on what it takes to win at the very top. His observations pay homage to Manchester United’s history of greatness. They teach and mentor the next generation of players who dream of carrying that legacy forward.
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