A Manchester United player contacted Paul Scholes and attempted to confront him at the training ground because of negative comments Scholes made on television.
Scholes, 50, is known for his outspoken opinions as part of The Overlap Fan Debate and as a pundit for TNT Sports.
However, one Manchester United player was particularly bothered by Scholes` critical remarks.
When asked if players react to pundit comments, Scholes revealed on The Overlap Fan Debate via Sky Bet that an unnamed Manchester United player took issue with his words.
He stated, “Players can be quite sensitive these days.”
“This year, a player contacted me because he was unhappy with some of my comments.”
“He wanted to meet me at the training ground.”
“I agreed immediately and gave him my phone number, but he never contacted me again.”
“I would have been happy to meet. If I express opinions I believe in and a player wants me to explain my reasoning, I am willing to have that conversation, even if it might be uncomfortable.”
“I made it clear that if any player has an issue, they have my number.”
Scholes declined to name the player, amidst another disappointing season for his former team under both Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim.
He believes that criticism from the media and former players is an inherent part of being a professional footballer.
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The Manchester United icon believes players should be able to disregard pundit opinions, although he acknowledges this is easier said than done.
Scholes added, “What we say as pundits should not affect a player.”
“The only opinions that should matter to players are those of the manager, the coaching staff, and their teammates.”
“Anything said on TV should be taken lightly.”
“I`m not even sure how many players nowadays watch football and pay attention to what we say.”
“One United player clearly took offense to my comments, but you have to deal with it.”
“If explanations or discussions over tea or coffee are needed, I`m happy to provide them.”
“I primarily provide punditry for Manchester United games now.”
“I rarely cover other matches because I want to watch and attend United games.”
“Since I started doing punditry, their performances haven`t been great.”
Paul Scholes` Criticisms of the Season
- August 2024 – Expressed “grave concerns” about goalkeeper Andre Onana.
- August 2024 – Described new signing Matthijs de Ligt`s struggle to get into the Bayern team as a “major worry”.
- September 2024 – Added that De Ligt is “not a significant upgrade” on Harry Maguire.
- October 2024 – Criticized “absurd” transfer spending as a “mess” and mentioned five underperforming signings.
- October 2024 – Stated there has been “no improvement” in Erik ten Hag`s style or performance in two and a half years.
- January 2025 – Raised questions about Kobbie Mainoo`s “concerning” fitness levels.
- January 2025 – Only three United players were deemed worthy to keep in a “keep or sell” assessment.
- January 2025 – Declared Marcus Rashford should be “removed” from the dressing room for “letting many people down”.
- February 2025 – Questioned Ruben Amorim for playing Patrick Dorgu at right-back.
- March 2025 – Criticized Alejandro Garnacho for “sulking” and advised him to “improve”.
“It`s not pleasant to criticize your own club, especially one you played for for 20 years – it`s the last thing you want.”
“It would be much easier if you were a Manchester City player for the last decade.”
“Given our current situation, it makes you appear somewhat like a villain.”
Jamie Carragher then shared his experience of being confronted by Daniel Sturridge for suggesting Liverpool should sell him.
The Sky pundit recounted, “It was Daniel Sturridge.”
“You might not believe it, but a couple of years after I retired, Liverpool invited Steven Gerrard and me to participate in an end-of-season game in Australia.”
“Liverpool couldn’t sell enough tickets to fill the stadium in Australia, so they asked me, Stevie, and Steve McManaman to play with the team.”
“I had previously said they should sell Daniel Sturridge, and he confronted me in the dressing room when we arrived.”
“And I thought, `Fair play to him, good for you.`”
“There`s nothing worse than someone backing down, so I wasn`t going to retreat.”
“Sometimes, if I were a player dealing with a journalist, I might challenge them, and they might apologize, but no, you just have to face it directly.”
