LONDON: Paul Scholes says his former Manchester United and England team-mate David Beckham’s decision to retire is a “sad day”.
Scholes and Beckham, both 38, came through the youth ranks at United together in the early 1990s and enjoyed huge success as midfield partners before Beckham left for Real Madrid in 2003. Scholes remained at United, but he, too, will bow out of the game at the end of the season, having announced his retirement last week. “It’s a sad day, but hopefully David is happy with what he’s done,” Scholes told British newspaper The Daily Mail.
“From the start, you knew the quality he had and the professionalism. His range of passing and his free-kicks were brilliant and that was no accident -- he was out there practising all day long.
“That’s our year finished now. I think there’s only Ryan Giggs, who was a year older than us, still going as strong as ever.”
Meanwhile, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed that he was once interested in signing Beckham.
Beckham spent periods training with Arsenal during close-season breaks for the LA Galaxy, but Wenger said he was deterred by the former England captain’s wage demands. Asked if he had wanted to sign him, the Frenchman replied: “Yes I was, but it was at the period where we could not afford to pay him.
“After that it was a question mark as well before he went to (AC) Milan (on loan), but he was in a position where we did not really need (players).” AFP
