Paul Scholes

"“At Arsenal me and Patrick (Vieira) didn’t want to face Scholes. We would avoid him.”"

"“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.”"

"“Just heard Paul Scholes has retired, best I’ve ever played against by a mile. Most technically gifted player in english history. Legend”"

"“Nobody else in the world can play the way Scholes does. The passes he produces all over the field and the way he changes the game is brilliant. Every manager would like him. But luckily he is here and playing with us. Paul practices that all the time. When he has finished training he always goes out and shoots.”"

"He sees the game unlike any other player."

"Nobody on this planet had a range of passing like Paul Scholes. Training every day was a pleasure just watching him. Unbelievable career."

"“The only great English midfielder in my career was Paul Scholes. He has elegance in him. Others were pretenders.”"

"“If you ask footballers to pick out the player they most admire, so many of them will pick Paul Scholes. His passing and shooting is of the highest level and he’s the most consistent and naturally gifted player we’ve had for a long, long time.”"

"I don't like compliments. No. I prefer criticisms; prefer to prove them wrong"

"One of the greatest football brains Manchester United has ever had."

"No celebrity bullshit, no self promotion - an amazingly gifted player who remained an unaffected human being."

"“He's not the quickest, he doesn't run the most, he never wins a header, he can't tackle but he's the best player”."

"I love watching little Paul Scholes, he’s so in control of what he’s doing and is always so accurate and pinpoint with his passing – it’s just beautiful to watch."

"“What a player Paul is. Everything about him is just perfect.”"

"There isn't a player of his mould anywhere in the world."

"Paul is football crazy. I've followed him since I took his first-year team all the way through. And while Paul is not very socially confident, give him a group of lads, a football and he's certainly not quiet."

"For me, it's Paul Scholes. He'll do ridiculous things in training like say, "You see that tree over there?" - it'll be 40 yards away - "I'm going to hit it". And he'll do it. Everyone at the club considers him the best."

"England have lost their best player."

"I tell anyone who asks me – Scholes is the best English player."

"I think we were all disappointed because we all know what he can do. 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?"

"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 teammate 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. 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. These days he doesn't get into the box too many times, which is where you can see his age, but he has developed tactically. He controls and distributes the play and the game better than anyone I have ever seen."

"He is not as good a tackler as you - but I really like him. He's a little boy, but the power in that shot... he can really shoot."

"Everyone of us should emulate him. We can all learn from Paul Scholes."

"My toughest opponent? Scholes of Manchester. He is the complete midfielder. Scholes is undoubtedly the greatest midfielder of his generation."

"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. An all-round midfielder who possesses quality and character in abundance."

"Without any doubt the best player in the Premiership has to be Scholes. He knows how to do everything, and he is one who directs the way his team plays. On top of that, he has indestructible mental strength and he is a genuine competitor."

"He's unbelievable - he's one of the greatest of all time."

"”He is the phenomenon.”"

"When it's over I just want to be able to look in the mirror and say, 'Well, you were a half-decent player.'"