Paul Scholes: I should have gone to the World Cup

PAUL Scholes can have few regrets after a glittering 15 year plus career, but one of them is turning down England’s offer of a World Cup swansong in South Africa.

Paul Scholes said he should have gone to the World Cup Paul Scholes said he should have gone to the World Cup

The man who manager Fabio Capello attempted to lure out of international exile after a six-year retirement has admitted he probably should have gone to South Africa.

And Scholes also revealed if he had received personal contact from Capello, as opposed to his assistant Franco Baldini, then his decision – at two hours’ notice – could have been different.

Many believe the presence of Scholes, even at 35, could have proved beneficial to England’s ultimately fruitless cause because of his tremendous understanding with club-mate Wayne Rooney.

Hence Capello’s late effort to recall him.

Scholes said: “It was difficult. Baldini rang me the day before the squad was announced. I probably just needed a bit more time.

“I don’t look back and think, ‘It didn’t go well for England, thank God, I didn’t go’.

“It wasn’t until probably a week before the tournament, when you start seeing all the build-up, that I thought maybe I had made the wrong decision.”

Scholes made the last of his 66 England appearances, in which he scored 14 goals, in the 2004 European Championship quarter-final penalty shoot-out defeat by Portugal.

It was one of his four major England tournaments, after playing in the World Cup in 1998 and 2002, and the Euros in 2000.

He called time on his seven-year international career to spend more time with his family.

It has also prolonged a fantastic Manchester United career which has seen him make 643 senior appearances – with 149 goals – and carry on winning a string of major trophies with his only club, including nine domestic titles and two Champions League crowns.

Two hours was not much time for such a major decision.

Scholes said: “That’s what I thought. That’s why I probably said no.

“Not because he just gave me a couple of hours to think about it, but the fact I just needed a bit more time to think about it. It was a long time (since retiring in 2004). I had to make a decision in two hours or something. I did not expect the call, it wasn’t even on my mind. I don’t know Baldini, I hadn’t spoken to him before.

“I am not saying it definitely would have been different, but I think it might have been given more time.

“I am saying I might have made the wrong decision, but I am not saying I would have made a difference to the team.

“With regards to Wayne, I play with him every week. I know what he wants and the rest of the players here know what he wants.

“I am not saying the England players don’t know what he wants because he has been successful with them for the last four to six years.

“For some reason it just didn’t work out for the team.” The other major factor in Scholes’ ‘no-go’ was not wanting to deprive a fellow pro of a World Cup slot.

He said: “It would have been tough on somebody who has been all over Europe with the qualifiers,through all the tough places they had to go and been away for 10 days at a time.

“I don’t think it would have been right to take somebody’s’ place as well.”

It was not the first time he decided ‘no’ after quitting internationals in 2004. He said: “I just had enough of being away and I wanted to stay at home a bit more.

“I always said to myself that when I did retire, I’d never go back. And Steve McClaren had asked me as well. That was it.”

Only Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville remain of United’s Golden Generation. In April, Scholes signed for another year, up to the end of 2010-11.

Will it be his last? Scholes, on United’s North American tour where he played in the 2-1 defeat against Kansas City Wizards on Sunday, said: “No idea. I suppose it just depends on performances and how you play.

“I did go through last season thinking this might be the last time I played against this team, or stuff like that.

“But I just don’t know. My performances will decide when I finish. I didn’t expect it (still touring), I thought at 35 that would be it.

“At the end of last season I felt OK, hopefully this season I do as well.” But, after joining the club as a trainee in 1991, every special moment is savoured – like the vintage last-gasp headed winner against rivals City last April.

He said: “Every goal you score, every time you play well, you know it might be the last time you do it. So yes, you do enjoy them a bit more.”

Scholes, taking his FA coaching badges, is not dreading the day he hangs up those illustrious, down-to-earth boots.

He is not there yet but he will know – and will have enjoyed his time even if he has just that one lingering regret.football: SCHOLES REGRETSfootball: SCHOLES REGRETS‘I only had two hours to

think about it’

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