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SPORTS> Feature and Column
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Scholes pays tribute on Ferguson anniversary
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-11-04 16:04 MANCHESTER, England, Nov 3 - Paul Scholes well remembers his first meeting with Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson.
"I was frightened to death actually - and I still am," Scholes said in a rare interview at United's Carrington training ground on Friday. "When you are a kid you hear about the fiery side of him and when you meet him that's all you think about. "But I was a young lad and he was always talking to you and encouraging you, and as a young player that is a great thing to have." Scholes was one of several young players given their head in the United first team in 1994. Television pundit and ex-player Alan Hansen famously declared "You win nothing with kids" -- but Scholes, David Beckham, Gary and Phil Neville and Nicky Butt -- and Ryan Giggs who was not much older -- proved him wrong. Together they made up the backbone of a team that won the Champions League as part of a treble in 1999, during a spell that also brought the Premier League title almost every season. "He was one of the first managers to give young players a real big chance," said Scholes. "He is trying to do it again now. He has to. People get older and people leave the club. You have to try and bring young players in. There is no-one better at doing that than our manager." FEEL WANTED "With him the players come first. He never slags anyone off publicly," said Scholes. "If he has something to say he does it in the dressing room and it never leaves there. That isn't always the case with managers these days. "He sticks up for us to the hilt, It makes us feel wanted and that is important to us." The midfielder admitted to the odd fall out, most notably when he refused to play against Arsenal in the League Cup in 2002, but the damage was repairable. "If you apologise, go and see him and talk to him there is always room to forgive," he said. |
