Scholes admits: It was time. My legs have gone

Sir Alex Ferguson begged Paul Scholes to give him one more season when he told him he was retiring.

But the Manchester United midfielder turned him down – after telling him his legs had gone.

Speaking for the first time since retiring at the end of last season, Scholes revealed Fergie was hatching a plan where he could play up to 20 games next season for United.

Scholes however, says he ignored his pleas because he knew his body could no longer cope with the physical demands of playing.

“It wasn’t hard, I know how my body felt,” he said. “The manager felt I could do 15 or 20 games next season, but I just felt the time was right.

“I don’t think anybody wants to play a bit-part, but I’d realised that’s just part and parcel of it, given the stage of my career and the way I was physically. You’re at a top club with the best players and you just have to realise your legs can’t do what you want them to do.

“If you’re going to be part of this club, you have to be available from the beginning and to be able to last 90 minutes.

“But when I was starting games I didn’t feel great. I didn’t mind playing the odd game or coming on at the end of games - that was probably the right way to use me. The best I felt was when I was playing the last 15 or 20 minutes and really that’s not right.

“I was still doing little bits on the pitch, not a lot and I wanted to contribute more. Every player wants to be scoring goals, making goals, but as I got older that wasn’t really my job.

“I always felt I’d know when the time was right to call it a day and this year I felt it was.”

Scholes, 36, is staying at United as a coach and the former England midfielder says he has no regrets about quitting.

He now wants to pass on some of the experience gleaned from his 19 seasons with United and 66 caps for England to the club’s new crop of youngsters.

“It’s something I’m still getting used to, but I knew it was the right time,” he said. “You can’t go on for ever. It’s all done now and I’m looking towards the future.

“I feel coaching isn’t just about the football side of things. How you conduct yourself off the pitch is just as important and if I can help somebody in that way, I will do.”

Scholes is confident Fergie will replace him - just as he has replaced every other great who has left United in the past 20 years.

“That’s up to the manager and he will have his ideas about how the team goes forward,” he said. “There have been a lot of players who have left this club, like Roy Keane, Mark Hughes, Eric Cantona, Bryan Robson and people have wondered how do you replace them. Somehow this club has managed to do that.”

United fans will be able to pay tribute to Scholes when he has his testimonial against Eric Cantona’s New York Cosmos at Old Trafford on August 5, although, typically, he isn’t looking forward to being the centre of attention.

“I’m hoping Eric will take a bit of that away from me and I’ll be glad when it’s all over,” he said.