Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has revealed that one of the club’s current stars was left unhappy with something he said, and even asked to meet with the iconic midfielder to hash things out.
Scholes is one of a number of his club’s former stars to make the transition into punditry in their retirement, regularly appearing on TNT Sport’s Premier League and European coverage.
The move from dressing-room to the studio is one that can naturally come with its occupational hazards, with some players having to assess the performances of colleagues and former team-mates, often after less than impressive performances.
As such, Scholes detailed an occasion when one player in particular seemed to have taken umbrage with some of his comments.
‘Players can be a little bit touchy these days,’ he revealed, speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate, brought to you by Sky Bet.
‘I had a player, this year, who contacted me and wasn’t happy with some of the things I’d said. He wanted to meet me at the training ground, and I said, “Of course, no problem,” and gave him my number but he never got back to me.
Paul Scholes has revealed that a former Manchester United player wanted to discuss something he had said on punditry duty
The unnamed star asked to meet him at the training ground but never responded to Scholes
Ruben Amorim has struggled to revive the club this time since inheriting from Erik ten Hag
‘I would have done it. If I’m saying things I believe and he wants me to explain why, it wouldn’t have been a nice conversation, but I said if they or anyone else has a problem, there’s my phone number.’
He added: ‘What we say [as pundits] shouldn’t affect a player. The only people that should affect the players is what the manager thinks, the coaching staff, and their team-mates. Whatever is said on TV should be taken with a pinch of salt.
‘I’m not even sure how many players these days watch football and watch what we’re saying. There was one United player who obviously took a bit of offense to what I said, but you just deal with it. If thinks need an explanation or a meeting over a tea or coffee, I’d be happy to give it.’
United have come in for plenty of criticism this season as a result of a far less than impressive campaign domestically.
Erik ten Hag’s sacking after four months of the campaign saw Ruben Amorim quickly brought to Old Trafford, but the former Sporting Clube boss is still yet to truly turn things around.
The Red Devils are currently 13th in the Premier League with only 10 wins from 31 games, and notably 13 defeats, and out of both FA and Carabao Cups.
While they have made the Europa League quarter finals, it is still a decidedly below par season for one of English football’s historic powerhouses, and having to criticise your former club is far from easy, Scholes admits.
‘I only do [punditry for] Manchester United games now,’ Scholes said.
Scholes added that with his former side not doing too well he can look like ‘a villain’ for criticising their performances
The Red Devils are currently 13th in the Premier League and out of both FA and Carabao Cups
Scholes’ fellow player-turned-pundit revealed punditry helps him to feel like he’s still playing
‘I very rarely do other games because I want to watch United, and I want to be at the United games. Ever since I’ve started doing it, it’s not been great [United’s performances].
‘I don’t think I saw them win for a long time and you look terrible having a go at your club when that’s the club you played for, for 20 years – it’s the last thing you want.
‘It’d be so easy if you were a Manchester City player for the last 10 years. Where we are now, it makes you look like a bit of a villain.’
While Scholes also revealed he used to feel nerves prior to punditry engagements shortly after retiring from the game, Jamie Carragher admitted that being on Monday Night Football allows him to ‘set the agenda’.
The Liverpool legend, speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate, brought to you by Sky Betclaimed that appearing as one of Sky Sports’ flagship pundits also allows him to feel like he is still playing, too.
‘I love Monday Night Football – that almost feels like you’re playing the game,’ he said.
‘You’ve got this buzz a few days before and you think about doing something that someone else hasn’t done before. I’d hate to be the person that analyses someone else’s analysis. I’d rather be the first to set the agenda or the narrative.
‘When I first started, social media was not washing away everyone else’s analysis. You go on social media and look at a player, you see a huge thread – and it’ll all just be screenshots. I don’t necessarily go on social media to specifically check who has done that, but I do follow the bigger accounts. I think, can I find something that nobody else has cottoned on to yet.’