Video – Man Utd were ‘worried’ about Paul Scholes’ eight-hour booze binges before matches
Manchester United was 'concerned' about former player Paul Scholes' drinking habits when the BT Sports commentator was a teenager playing under Eric Harrison in the junior setup.
Manchester United was ‘concerned’ about former player Paul Scholes’ drinking habits.
In an interview with Gary Neville on his YouTube series The Overlap, the Red Devils icon revealed that he was bred in a drinking culture, which is why he continued the custom even as a professional athlete.
“If you had anything like my lifestyle, you’d think, ‘never in a million years would he play football,” Scholes remarked.
“I recall you used to take the bus home from the training ground,” Neville said. And you’d have a few pints on Friday before the game on Saturday. I think that was four pints. What, three pints?”
“Well, sometimes we used to remain there till eight or nine…even half-12,” Scholes responded. But that was my upbringing; I grew up in and among pubs. My mother and father insisted on visiting a bar everywhere we traveled. And I was outside, kicking the ball against the wall since kids weren’t permitted inside, actually just waiting for my mother and father.”
Scholes was the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year in 1993, although he was knocking them back in rapid succession at the time.
“I recall playing with the youth squad when I was 16 or 17,” he explained. “And Eric Harrison [the then-youth team coach] called my father and said, ‘We are concerned about Paul’s drinking.'”
“I’m not sure if someone grassed me up or what.” But that’s how I was raised – it was going out on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and possibly Monday. I was often in the vicinity of the pub. On Sunday mornings, I used to go see my friends play.”
Some watchers of the debate believe Scholes’ drinking habit exacerbates the fact that he is one of the best midfielders in history. “Man won 11 Premier Leagues and two Champions Leagues while boozing and munching chips throughout his career,” one fan commented. People still believe he was overrated and compare him to Lampard and Gerrard.”
“Just watched the entire episode, amazing, and his opinions on the type of players he prefers forward-thinking guys who always know what is going on around them,” added another.
Scholes was a United player from 1993 to 2013, appearing 718 times. He is regarded as a club legend and one of the finest midfielders of all time.
