Legends of the game....

[Number9]

The one and only George Best - Remembered by football fans from all over.

"Pele, Good.
Maradona, Better.
George, Best."

TalkSoccer Media Player

George Best (22 May 1946 – 25 November 2005) was football player from Belfast, Northern Ireland, regarded in the worlds top 3 greatest ever alongside Maradona and Pele.

He is remembered for his halcyon days with Manchester United. He was a Northern Ireland squad regular, but, regrettably, was never able to display his unique talent on the world stage because of his national team's lack of success during the peak of his career. Best had a rare combination of pace, blistering acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring prowess and the ineffable ability to run through entire defences.

He played for United as a winger between 1963 and 1974, helping them to win the Football League Championship in 1965 and 1967, and the European Cup in 1968. He was named European Footballer of the Year and Football Writers' Association Player of the Year in 1968. In speaking to Man Utd TV after Best's death in late 2005, Sir Bobby Charlton described Best's impact on the 1960s as "sensational". At one point Pelé described Best as "the greatest footballer in the world".[1] In his native Northern Ireland he is usually considered the finest player to ever take the field, summed up by the local saying: "Pelé good;Maradona better; George Best."[2]

[mr.watford]

LUTHER BLISSETT

Luther Loide Blissett (born February 1, 1958 in Falmouth, Jamaica) is a footballer and coach. Blissett played as a striker for, amongst others, Watford, A.C. Milan and England during the 1980s.

He was one of the first black footballers to play for England, and scored a hat-trick on his first full international match - a 9-0 win over Luxembourg. This made him the first black player ever to score a hat-trick for the national team.

Blissett made 246 appearances for Watford, his first club, between 1975 and 1983, scoring 95 goals (including 27 goals in the 1982-3 season). Blissett moved to Milan for £1m in summer 1983, but he was not as successful as he had been in England, as he scored only 5 goals in 30 appearances (it has been suggested that scouts confused him with another black player at Watford at the time, John Barnes). Blissett was sold, at a loss, back to Watford for £550,000 after only one season at the Italian club.

Blissett played for Watford for a second time until 1988 (scoring another 44 goals in 127 appearances), then moved to Bournemouth for three years, back to Watford (for a third time), before finishing his career with short spells at West Bromwich Albion, Bury, Mansfield, Southport , and Derry City.

Following retirement from playing in 1994, Blissett rejoined Watford as a coach in February 1996, coming in with returning manager Graham Taylor. He left the club in June 2001, following the appointment of Gianluca Vialli as manager. Vialli wanted to appoint his own back-room staff, and thus Blissett was deemed surplus to requirements, to the anger of many fans.

Blissett holds the records for the most appearances (415) and scoring the most goals (158) for Watford.
He has worked as a television pundit, for Channel 4 and Bravo's coverage of Serie A.
Part of the set on Sky TV show Soccer AM is called "The Luther Blissett Stand"
Blissett ran the 2005 and 2006 London Marathons in aid of the Peace Hospice. In 2005 he completed the course in five hours and 46 minutes.

Luther Blissett (footballer) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Never saw him play live but he is still regarded as the best player to play for Watford, 158 goals speak for themselves. He loves the club as well. I've met him too and he's a good guy as well.

[MUFC]

Does Blisset still appear on Gazzetta Italia?

[LAF]

The King Denis Law

In the 1960's when Eric Cantona was still in his cradle, Denis Law was the King of Old Trafford. When it came to scoring goals, from long-range, from headers, overhead kicks, close in poachers - Law was the master, a mercurial genius when it came to putting a ball in the back of the net.

He was a player all the fans loved because he gave absolutely everything when on the pitch. This fierce Scotsman fought for everything and was afraid of nobody, few players could match this man's competitive instincts.

Of only medium height and slim in build, Law had a lions heart and a salmons leap. Always playing with his long shirt sleeves distinctively gripped in each fist, he could frequently out-jump much taller men to score with his head. Denis could score from anywhere and close in he was lethal. If the keeper fumbled he pounced and within seconds the Law-man was wheeling off, arm up in celebration.

George Best said of him "Denis was the best in the business, he could score goals from a hundredth of a chance never mind half of one". As well as goal-scoring he was also an incisive passer of the ball contributing to others around him.

Ironically, Denis Law and Jimmy Greaves where born within four days of each other and both spent years as rivals and supreme entertainers. A lot of great players use their minds as much as their physical attributes. Law's most important abilities were awareness and anticipation. He always seemed to see the action slightly ahead of everyone else and with his superb reflexes he knew how to use that to deadly advantage.

He started his footballing career with Huddersfield town in 1956. After an unhappy time in Italy with Torino he joined United with a new British record transfer fee of £115,000 in August 1962. He scored two goals on his debut in 1962 and after scoring in United's FA Cup Final win of 1963, a stream of goals followed. 160 of them in only 222 games over his first five seasons. Many of them were outrageous, some seemingly impossible, but everything was done with a confident arrogant style the fans found irresistible.

Law won the European Footballer of the Year award in 1964 and captained the team on several occasions. He helped United win the league twice, 1965 and 1967, forming the legendary trio of Best, Law and Charlton. On the International scene he was a regular up front with Scotland. Law played in many a clash with England, most famously when they beat the then World Champions 3-2 at Wembley in 1967.

He played for Scotland a total of 55 times and olds the joint Scottish international goal scoring record with 30 goals longside Kenny Dalglish. Sadly, such was his fierce competitiveness Law was sometimes injured, no more costly than when he missed the 1968 European Cup triumph because of a knee injury.

Controversially, in 1973 he was given a free transfer by Tommy Docherty but had more good times with Manchester City and Scotland. In an infamous incident at Old Trafford 1974 with United deep in trouble at the foot of the league and playing City, Law in the 85th minute half-heartedly back-heeled the ball into United's net. It won the game for City 1-0 and United were consequently relegated (although they were down regardless of the result).

The devastation on Law's face after the goal showed the bond he still had with his old club. In fact, it was his last ever kick in League football as he was so downcast he retired straight after the game. The fact the United fans never blamed him for it showed their great affection and respect for him also. His career in football ended after playing for Scotland in the 1974 World Cup. Since then he has been involved in media work and working currently for BBC Radio 5, Sky and MUTV.

Denis Law will always be remembered as a great, a player to set the passions and imagination of every fan on fire. The ultimate United goal-scorer, the first and some may still maintain, King of Old Trafford.

TalkSoccer Media Player

[CantonaStillGod]

Ryan Giggs

Ryan Joseph Giggs (born Ryan Joseph Wilson on 29 November 1973 in Cardiff) is a Welsh football player. He is often regarded as one of the best wingers in football history and heavily respected for his lengthy and loyal career at Manchester United.

He was born in Wales to father Danny Wilson, a noted Rugby League player, and mother Lynne Giggs, but was brought up in Salford, England and speaks with a Mancunian accent. Danny Wilson was of mixed race and Ryan Giggs has always expressed pride at his mixed heritage. His younger brother Rhodri Giggs, also a winger, plays for FC United of Manchester, the non-league club set up by disaffected United fans after Malcolm Glazer's takeover of United.

Giggs plays for Manchester United and is their longest-serving current player, having made his first appearance for the club during the 1990-91 season and been a regular player since the 1991-92 season. He has played the second highest number of competitive games for the club (second only to Bobby Charlton), and holds the club record of trophies won by a player (15). Since 1992, he has collected eight FA Premier League championship winning medals (a record he shares with Liverpool's Alan Hansen and Phil Neal), four FA Cup winning medals, two League Cup winning medals and one Champions League winning medal. He also has runners-up medals from two FA Cup finals and two League Cup finals, as well as being part of four United teams who have finished second in the league.

Giggs captained England Schoolboys (which all schoolboys in England are eligible to do, regardless of nationality), but plays for the Welsh national team as an adult. At the time of his debut in 1991, Giggs (still only 17 at the time) was the youngest player to represent his country at the highest level.

He also won the PFA Young Player of the Year award twice (1992 and 1993), making him the first player to win the award in consecutive years - a feat matched only by Robbie Fowler and current team-mate Wayne Rooney. Giggs holds many other records, including that of the top all-time scorer in the FA Premier League not to play regularly in the position of striker, and interestingly, as a non-striker, holds the record for scoring Manchester United's fastest goal (15 seconds), set in November 1995 against Southampton, and is one of only two players to have scored in every Premiership campaign (Gary Speed being the other). Also, having scored his first European goal of the season in United's 3-1 victory over Benfica, Giggs became the first player in Champions League history to score in 12 successive seasons.

He also has the honour of scoring Manchester United's greatest goal as voted by the fans. The goal in question was scored in the semi-final of the FA cup in 1999 against Arsenal where Giggs beat 4 defenders (Lee Dixon twice) to score. Giggs's squad number for both Manchester United and Wales is 11. He is known affectionately as The Welsh Wizard to the United faithful.

Giggs is today Vice Captain at Manchester United, playing deputy to Gary Neville.


Honours

With Manchester United (1990 - 2006)
FA Premier League - Champions (8): 1992-93, 1993-94, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-00, 2000-01, 2002-03
FA Premier League - Runners Up: 1991-92, 1994-95, 1997-98, 2005-06
FA Youth Cup Winner: 1992
FA Cup Winner (4): 1994, 1996, 1999, 2004
FA Cup Runners Up: 1995, 2005
League Cup Winner (2): 1992, 2006
UEFA Champions League Winner: 1998-99
Intercontinental Cup: 1999
UEFA Super Cup Winner: 1991
UEFA Super Cup Runner Up: 1999
Community Shield Winner (5): 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003
Community Shield Runner Up: 1998, 2000, 2001, 2004

Individual honours
Barclays Premiership Player of the Month for August, 2006
Intercontinental Cup Man of the Match (1999)
Manchester United Players Player of the Year Award 2005/2006
U-21 European Footballer of the Year (1993)
Wales Player of the Year Award 1996, 2006
Inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame 2005
Inducted into the Premiership Team of the Decade 2003
Inducted into the FA Challenge Cup Team of the Century 2006
Honoured with the greatest goal ever scored in the FA Challenge Cup 1999, 2005
Only Manchester United player to have played in all 8 Premiership title winning teams
Only Manchester United player to have played in both League Cup winning teams

[Trim]

Dennis Bergkamp



Dennis Nicolaas Maria Bergkamp (born May 10, 1969 in Amsterdam) is a retired Dutch professional footballer. He played for Ajax Amsterdam, Internazionale, Arsenal and the Netherlands. Bergkamp played most of his best games as a support striker, where his tactical awareness and deft passes made him a great exponent of the game from the 'hole'. He was selected by Pelé as one of the FIFA 125 greatest living players. He has also finished third in the FIFA Player of the Year award twice.

Raised in a flat in western Amsterdam, Bergkamp was one of four sons of a Catholic plumber. He was never known to socialize much outside of his own family. His parents, who were football fanatics, named him after Manchester City, Manchester United and Scotland striker Denis Law. His middle name, "Maria", sometimes attracts attention, though in the Netherlands, "Maria" is not an uncommon middle name for Catholic boys.

Early life
Raised in a flat in western Amsterdam, Bergkamp was one of four sons of a Catholic plumber. He was never known to socialize much outside of his own family. His parents, who were football fanatics, named him after Manchester City, Manchester United and Scotland striker Denis Law. His middle name, "Maria", sometimes attracts attention, though in the Netherlands, "Maria" is not an uncommon middle name for Catholic boys.

Arsenal
After two unhappy seasons at Inter, Bergkamp was signed by Arsenal boss Bruce Rioch in June 1995 for £7.5m. Bergkamp made his debut against Middlesbrough in August 1995 but had to adapt to the English style of play; it took him eight games before he managed to score his first goal, against Southampton. Slowly but surely, Bergkamp's stature grew, playing as a forward behind the main striker, Ian Wright, with whom he formed an effective partnership. Bergkamp has been regarded by many football pundits such as Alan Hansen as being the greatest foreign player to grace the English game.

Bergkamp's arrival at Arsenal was significant, not only as he was one of the first world-class foreign players to join an English club since the lifting of the Heysel ban in 1991, but also because he was a major contributor to the club's return to success after the stagnation of the mid-1990s. It has been suggested that his signing, in which Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein was the major mover, has been the most significant in Arsenal's history, helping to attract other top-class players to the club.

Bergkamp hit his best form for Arsenal after the arrival of Arsène Wenger in September 1996. Arsenal won a Premiership and FA Cup double in the 1997-98 season (although Bergkamp missed the cup final with an injury), and Bergkamp was voted PFA Player of the Year. In September 1997 he became the first and so far only player to have come first, second and third in Match of the Day's Goal of the Month competition, for a hat trick against Leicester City. He scored 16 times that season, as well as being involved in setting up many more. At the end of that same season, he helped the Netherlands to a fourth-place finish at the 1998 World Cup. In that competition he scored one of the greatest goals of all time in a quarter final win against Argentina.

While his form since has not matched the spectacle of that season, Bergkamp continued to be a regular in the Arsenal team. He won the double again in 2002, the FA Cup in 2003 and the Premiership for a third time in 2004. The club's domestic success has not been matched in European competition, the closest to winners' medals coming when they lost the 2000 UEFA Cup final to Galatasaray on penalties and the 2006 Champions League final loss to Barcelona; Bergkamp travelled overland to Paris for his competitive farewell, only to be an unused substitute.

In 2005, due to Arsenal's reluctance in offering him a new deal, there was speculation that Bergkamp would leave the club, and possibly football altogether. Bergkamp had said he would retire from football if not offered a new contract with Arsenal for the 2005-06 campaign, despite interest from his former club Ajax. Following Arsenal's penalty shootout victory over Manchester United in the FA Cup Final in Cardiff though, it was revealed he would sign a one-year contract extension, which was custom by the manager Arsène Wenger for players over 30 years old, keeping him at the London club for their final season at the Arsenal Stadium at Highbury.

On April 15, 2006, the home match against West Bromwich Albion, the Arsenal supporters dedicated the original "Supporter's Day" match theme (one of the designated theme days Arsenal prepared to celebrate their last year at Highbury before moving to the Emirates Stadium) to "Dennis Bergkamp Day", to commemorate Bergkamp's time at Arsenal. Bergkamp came on as a second half substitute, setting up the winning Robert Pirès goal, after Albion had equalised just after he came on. He scored a curler himself at the 89th minute, as Arsenal ran out 3-1 winners. That goal proved to be the last goal Bergkamp scored in Arsenal colour and in competitive football.[1]

Bergkamp officially retired from competitive football after the 2006 Champions League final game against FC Barcelona on May 17, 2006. The last game he played in Arsenal colours was also the last game at Highbury, against Wigan Athletic on May 7, 2006. Bergkamp scored 121 goals for Arsenal in 424 appearances, and set up a further 166 goals in his Arsenal career. This makes him one of the top three assist makers in Premier League history.[2]

Testimonial match
Bergkamp had the honour of being the focus of the first match at Arsenal's new ground, the Emirates Stadium. On 22 July 2006, a testimonial was played in his honour at the new stadium, with Arsenal playing his old club Ajax. Bergkamp kicked off the match with his father, Wim, and son, Mitchel. All four children act as the match's mascots. The first half was played by members of Arsenal and Ajax's current squads, while the second was played by famous ex-players from both sides; for example Ian Wright, Patrick Vieira and David Seaman for Arsenal, and Marco van Basten, Danny Blind, Johan Cruijff, Frank and Ronald de Boer for Ajax. Arsenal won the match 2-1 with goals from Thierry Henry and Nwankwo Kanu; Klaas Jan Huntelaar had earlier opened the scoring for Ajax.

Bergkamp is a striker known for the quality of his goals rather than the quantity. His exceptional calm and control in creating scoring chances has earned him the nickname "The Iceman." Bergkamp has stated that he usually visualizes exactly how he will enact his goal even before the chance comes, so that by then he can do so without looking. Two of the best known examples out of many are the 2002 Premiership Goal of the Season, scored against Newcastle United on March 2, 2002 and his game winning goal for the Netherlands against Argentina in the quarterfinal round of the 1998 World Cup. The goal against Newcastle was voted by the FA Premier League as the second greatest goal of the league's first ten seasons, after David Beckham's lob against Wimbledon in 1996.

Both of these goals showcased the best traits of Dennis Bergkamp the striker: his fine ball control, his sublime first touch, his ability to go past defences through quick thinking and his preference to score (or to set up a goal) from outside the box. Further discussion of the 2002 goal is covered on BBC Sport's website here, and the goal against Argentina can be found in the video archives on the official FIFA World Cup website here.

Bergkamp idolized Glenn Hoddle since childhood, but has denied many times of being a Spurs fan. "Maybe I was...maybe I am, a little different from other players. They will tell you that Pelé, Maradona, Cruyff are their idols and I will say Glenn Hoddle. Main thing was that I was a big fan of Glenn Hoddle. When you wanted to see Hoddle play you watched Tottenham. People often assume I'm a Spurs fan but it's not true. I was a fan of Glenn Hoddle, not of Spurs," Bergkamp once said.

[JD]

Adams
captained the club to the title in three decades
eighties, nineties and noughties
a unique achievement by a true leader, legend and quality player

[Calcio]

Matt Le Tissier

TalkSoccer Media Player

Le Tissier could use both of his feet equally to pass or shoot with, which combined with his loyalty made him a Southampton fans' favourite. He was renowned as a regular scorer of spectacular goals, often unexpected, when Southampton were in trouble of relegation. For this ability he became known as "Le God" among Southampton supporters.

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Jimmy Greaves

Jimmy Greaves was one of the most prolific goal poachers of his time. Despite not being the most strongly-build of forward, he scored 44 goals in 56 internationals, twice scoring four times in a match and also registering four hat-tricks.

Having made his debut against Peru in Lima in May 1959, Greaves' first experience of a major championship was the 1962 World Cup in Chile. Graves played in all four of England's matches, scoring one goal against Argentina.

Two years later England failed to make any headway at the 1964 European Nations' Cup but then, in 1966, came England's glorious summer when Alf Ramsey's side were crowned world champions.

However, injury early on in the tournament meant that Greaves was forced to watch the victory in the final over West Germany from the bench.

In his club career, Greaves was equally prolific, striking 357 top-flight goals, including three five-goal hauls, and scoring on his debut for every club he played for.

Having scored 124 League goals in only four seasons at Chelsea, Greaves moved to Milan at the start of the 1961/62 season, and though he never settled in Italy, he still managed nine goals in ten games.

After just a few months abroad, Greaves came back to England when Tottenham manager Bill Nicholson paid a British record fee of £99,999 to take Jimmy Greaves to White Hart Lane in December 1961.

Greaves began repaying his huge transfer fee in typical fashion with a hat-trick on his debut against Blackpool and thereafter the goals continued to flow with a predictable regularity.

The end of his first season saw Greaves score in Spurs' FA Cup Final victory over Burnley (3-1), and in total the England striker scored 21 goals in 22 League matches.

The following season was Greaves' most abundant in a Tottenham shirt. In just 41 matches he bagged 37 League goals - a club record which stands to this day - and on the way he helped Nicholson's side win the European Cup-Winners' Cup, which was won after Atletico Madrid were beaten 5-1 in Rotterdam.

That season had seen Greaves finish as the League's top goalscorer and he repeated this feat in 1963/64 and 1964/65 season's, thus becoming the first player to top the charts for three consecutive seasons.

Greaves won The FA Cup for the second time in 1966/67 as Spurs beat former club Chelsea 2-1 in The Final.

That was the striker's last hurrah in a Tottenham shirt and a few years later, in March 1970, Greaves moved to West Ham as part of the deal which saw Martin Peters move in the opposite direction.

Jimmy Greaves Factfile

Nationality: England (57 caps, 44 goals)
Date of Birth: 20 February 1940
Place of Birth: Poplar, London
Clubs: Chelsea, Milan, Tottenham H, West Ham Utd


Jimmy Greaves

[Cantona7]

The greatest player ever and would make Georgie Best look like a choir boy both on and off the pitch was the Little Bird - Garrincha.

I have read his book plus all the videos/dvds and this man is the most natural talent ever. As to his life outside football he was a legend and as I said he would laugh at Georgie Best if he said he was a playboy.

Just a few snippets Garrincha fathered 11 children from 4 women and stories of his sexual behaviour are legendary plus the fact that he won 2 world cups winners medals and many in Brazil argue that he is better than the legendary Pele.

Nuff said

[unitedfan]

Paul Aaron Scholes (born 16 November 1974) is an English football player who has spent his whole career at Manchester United. Scholes has been called one of the best midfielders of his generation, and has been praised many times for his modesty and attitude towards the game.

Scholes represented the England national team for a period of seven years, having been handed his début in 1997. He went on to represent his country at four major tournaments; the 1998 and 2002 World Cups and the 2000 and 2004 European Championships. Following Euro 2004, Scholes announced his retirement from international football, citing his intentions to focus on his club career with Manchester United and spend more time with his family. Scholes went to Cardinal Langley Roman Catholic High School in Middleton Manchester. At his final Period of School he was selected to represent Great Britain National Schools in Football.

Born in Salford, England, Scholes was brought up an Oldham Athletic supporter, but has trained with Manchester United since the age of 14. He then later joined as a trainee upon leaving the Cardinal Langley School, Middleton, Greater Manchester in the summer of 1991. Contrary to popular belief, he was not a member of Manchester United's 1992 FA Youth Cup-winning squad, but he was part of the youth team that reached the final in the following season. Scholes turned professional on 23 July 1993, but did not make his breakthrough into the Old Trafford team until the 1994–95 season, when he made 17 league appearances and scored five goals. His debut for the senior squad came on 21 September 1994, where he scored twice in a 2-1 victory over Port Vale in the League Cup. The 20-year-old Scholes proved himself to be a promising understudy for the likes of Eric Cantona and Andrew Cole.

Scholes was unable to secure a regular first team place until the 1997–98 season, when he played in midfield after the ninth game when Roy Keane was ruled out by injury.

In 1998–99, Scholes was a key player in Manchester United's Premiership title, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League "Treble" success. He scored one of United's two goals against Newcastle in the FA Cup final but was ruled out of the Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich through suspension.


Established player
Since then, Paul Scholes has established himself as a world class midfielder at the club level. He became a key player in the Manchester United squad. Scholes generally played as a central attacking midfielder during his longstanding midfield partnership with Roy Keane, where Keane would drop deep and Scholes would push forward in a diamond formation. However since the departure of Keane he has shifted into a more conventional centre midfielder, but still playing a more attacking role than defensive. One of the well known features of Paul's game is his high level of passing. Typical Manchester United moves over the last decade have involved Scholes receiving the ball from the holding midfielder, Roy Keane or Michael Carrick and then spreading a diagonal ball to a player on the right flank, mostly Gary Neville, David Beckham or Cristiano Ronaldo.

Paul's shooting has also been hailed by the fans and media alike. His goal-scoring record has diminished in recent seasons and it's highly unlikely he'll regain the goalscoring form he had during the 2002-03 season when he netted 20 goals in all competitions, including a Hat-Trick away to Newcastle and a 25 yard screamer off the underside of the bar against Everton. However his goals record during the 2006-07 season was a massive contribution to Manchester United clinching the Premiership title and reaching the FA Cup Final and UEFA Champions League Semi-Final

In ten years as a first team player at Manchester United, Paul Scholes has won seven Premiership titles, three FA Cups, the European Cup, and the Intercontinental Cup, amongst many other personal achievements.

Unlike other modern footballers, Scholes does not have an agent and negotiates deals on his own behalf. He rarely gives interviews or accepts advertising contracts.


Later career
Scholes' retirement from England helped revive his club form in 2005. However, he was ruled out for the second half of the 2005–06 season with blurred vision. The cause of this was initially uncertain, at first leaving Scholes' career in the balance. He overcame this problem through the beginning of the year and he appeared in United's final game of the 2005–06 season, against Charlton Athletic. Reportedly, Scholes' vision has not completely recovered.

On the 22 October 2006, in the 2-0 Premiership victory over Liverpool at Old Trafford, twelve years after marking his Red Devils début with a League Cup brace against Port Vale, Scholes became the ninth United player to reach the 500th appearance landmark, following the likes of Sir Bobby Charlton, Bill Foulkes, Denis Irwin and current team-mates Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville. Scholes was voted Man of the Match and gave a rare interview after the game.

Inspired goalscoring form during late 2006 and early 2007 saw players from rival Premiership teams tip Scholes to be named Footballer of the Year. Thierry Henry and Cesc Fabregas of Arsenal F.C., and Luis Garcia of Liverpool F.C., all said he was the player that they most admired. Many commentators have said that Scholes was their personal player of the year, over the high scoring Cristiano Ronaldo and Didier Drogba, although he eventually finished third behind these two, with Ronaldo claiming the top prize.

Scholes was dismissed by referee Martin Atkinson, during Manchester United's 1-0 victory over Liverpool F.C. at Anfield on 3 March 2007, for swinging an arm at Xabi Alonso. It marked the first time he has been sent off in the league since Manchester United lost 1-0 against Liverpool's city rivals, Everton FC in April 2005. He missed the next three domestic games. The loss of Scholes was described by Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson as "a disappointment" Scholes still featured in Manchester United's match against Lippi's European team, performing calmly and effectively in centre-midfield, which Manchester United won 4-3 with the help of Wayne Rooney's brace and strikes from Ronaldo and Wes Brown. Scholes returned to the United line-up against Blackburn on March 31; scoring the equalizer in a 4-1 win. Scholes received his second red card of the season four days later against Roma in a Champions League match at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, after committing two yellow card offences. Due to suspension, he missed the second leg at Old Trafford on April 10th which United won 7-1 (8-3 on aggregate). On 24 April, during a Champions League game against AC Milan at Old Trafford, with United trailing 2-1, Scholes used his creativity to lob a pass over the Milan defence, which included Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Nesta, leaving Wayne Rooney free to slot home the equalizer. Clive Tyldesley's comment summed up a typical Paul Scholes' pass: 'What a pass!' United eventually did win the game 3-2 when Wayne Rooney, again, scored the winner in injury time. However, eight days later at the San Siro, the team produced a poor performance which saw United outplayed by Milan and were eliminated from the Champions League 5-3 on aggregate. However Scholes produced a fine performance and did his job for the team. On 13 May 2007, Scholes won his 7th Premiership title with Man Utd.

As the 2007-08 season commenced, Scholes netted his first goal against Portsmouth on 15 August 2007, and in doing so became the highest scoring United player in the Premier League.

According to team mate, Rio Ferdinand, Scholes is the only player who has not come face-to-face with manager Sir Alex Ferguson's "hair-dryer treatment".

On 23 August 2007, Scholes was shortlisted for a place in the National Football Museum Hall of Fame 2007. Viewers of BBC's Football Focus on 1 September 2007, however, ultimately voted for Dennis Bergkamp.

In his autobiography, Sir Bobby Charlton says that he believes that Scholes is the one player still playing who truly epitomises the spirit of Manchester United and what is great about football.

Paul Scholes has been ruled out of action until the end of January 2008, after scan results showed he has suffered knee ligament damage. He sustained the injury after turning awkwardly in training the night before United's Champions League Group F clash with Dynamo Kyiv on Tuesday 23 October 2007.


Honours

With Manchester United (1994 – present)
Premier League (7) - 1995-96, 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-00, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2006-07
FA Cup (3) - 1996, 1999, 2004
League Cup (1) - 2006
UEFA Champions League (1) - 1999
Intercontinental Cup (1) - 1999
Community Shield (5) - 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2007

Individual honours
Barclays Premiership Player of the Month for October 2006
PFA Premiership Team of the Year: 2006-07

TalkSoccer Media Player

TalkSoccer Media Player

Absolutely marvelous player, and a legend both for Manchester United and this league