The Class of 92 Page #13

Grabs me by the shirt, lifts me up,

and we celebrate.

Those are the special moments

that I know my granddad

would have been kind of swearing at me,

but then also kind of really happy at the

fact that I was going to win a league.

And I think he'd have been

even more happier,

just because it'd have either meant

us winning the league

or Arsenal winning the league.

And as a Tottenham fan,

he was happy that Man United

was winning the league.

I mean, with Becks scoring that goal,

it was the full turn-around really

from the start of the season,

all the World Cup carry-on,

the backlash from that,

to having a brilliant season

and finishing it with such an

important goal in the league decider.

And, you know, one ticked off the list,

two to go.

I grew up on a place called Langley

in Middleton,

it's just a council estate

really, a rough area.

I didn't think it was a rough area.

People from outside probably do,

but it wasn't the nicest of places,

I don't suppose,

but it's where I grew up and I...

I enjoyed it.

We had like a square

at the end of our street, and a big fence,

I would just boot a ball

against that all day and...

Then the neighbours tried to ban me.

Tried to stop me playing and...

I think there was always arguments

with my dad and the next-door neighbour

about stopping me from playing.

Then you get the "No ball games" sign,

don%you?

You're not allowed to play any more,

you have to go off,

try and play football wherever you can.

He's hard to explain, Scholesy,

because there's probably

three or four different sides to him.

As a character he was always quiet,

but, you know, with this dry

sense of humour, and one-liners.

Finished training, straight off home.

You know, we would joke,

"Where's Scholesy gone?"

Didn't even see him leave.

Goes back in his Bat Cave, in his room,

his packet of Wine Gums, his Minstrels,

his M&Ms, whatever he has,

watches his telly.

And the next time you'd see him

is if you go round to his room,

and you'd go in his room, and it was funny

because whatever time of day

you'd go into Paul Scholes' room,

it'd be pitch black.

The curtains would be closed.

He'd be in bed, with his shorts on,

pitch black with the telly on.

(SPEAKING FRENCH)

But I suppose for me, Scholesy,

I love that. It's just very romantic,

that idea of a guy who doesn't really care

about all this, not so much.

Not really bothered about all that, really.

Just wants to play the game,

get on with it and live a normal life.

I think a lot of us

relate to that, you know.

People ask me to do interviews

and I don't have to do them,

to me it's just not necessary.

All I wanted to do was play football

and I never realised

that all that side came with it, really.

He hasn't changed as a person,

he hasn't changed as a player.

He's just one of these naturally gifted

players that just gets on with the job,

but he's so talented.

He was a frightening football player.

Frightening football player.

In terms of his awareness,

intelligence, speed of thought.

It was evident how good he was,

his vision was second to none,

he knew before anybody

what he was going to do with the ball.

If you had Paul Scholes

on your side in training, you were winning.

You know, his tackles are,

you know, really, really bad.

Never gets the ball.

When I foul someone, it's normally because I

was probably just trying to get them back.

If they've done something to me...

He's a good tackler, he just likes fouling.

He just likes leaving a bit on 'em.

He's a good tackler, Scholesy,

but he gets away with it because he's...

Obviously he's made this thing

that he can't tackle.

But if he wanted to tackle, he could tackle,

but he likes to wait back a couple of yards

to show people what he's about.

He was playing for Boundary

when he was 13, 14, 15, he was only small.

And I think he must have had that

deep down in his head, that,

"Just because I'm small I'm not going

to let you kick me or boss me about.

"I'll leave one or two on you just to

show you that I can compete with it."

And he's never really lost that,

and he's kept that going all his life.

There is nothing more beautiful

than seeing him arrive in that hole,

everybody is faffing about

in the penalty area,

there's a big hole outside

the penalty area,

outside the penalty box,

and there he is arriving.

COMMENTATOR:
Back for Scholes. Oh!

That's one of the kind of great moments

in life, I think,

seeing Paul Scholes arise for a screamer.

The best way that I found it

was to try and keep things as simple as...

as they possibly could be.

I think the minute you start trying to do

things you can't...

you're not good at, like,

say if I went started trying dribbling, trying

to beat people, it'd be a waste of time.

I mean, if you know Scholesy,

you just don't turn your back on him.

You know, you go out and train,

we'd be on a field

and if you needed a piss or something,

you'd go over in the bushes.

But you'd never turn your back.

I mean, you learnt that as a young player,

you never turn your back, so you'd be...

You know, you'd be...

I always try and hit someone

on the back of the head.

Not intentionally...

Well, a little bit intentionally,

just aim for them

if they weren't quite watching.

GIGGS:
You'd go over and Scholesy

would just be peppering balls at them.

And now and again he'd obviously hit you.

More often than not, actually.

So, if you were new,

or if you were a foreign player,

and you didn't know Scholesy,

you soon got to know,

if you're going to have a piss,

then don't turn your back.

One day I did catch Phil Neville

with a beauty, actually.

It was about 60 yards away,

right on the other side of the pitch,

and I think he was doing

a bit of extra running after training.

A few of the lads were sat down.

I've smacked a ball

and it's just hit him full on the head

and he's gone down eating grass

and everything.

We're just on the floor pissing ourselves,

and he didn't have a clue

which one of us it was.

It was one of them perfect moments.

But like I say, I just saw that

as a bit of passing practice, really.

The FA Cup final to me,

and probably to you lot as well,

growing up as a kid it's...

It's something you look forward to.

The twin towers at Wembley, the...

Just the full day, I think,

getting up from 9:00 in the morning,

whoever is playing in it,

it was just the biggest day

of the football year for me.

It was the biggest thing in my eyes

as a kid, was the FA Cup final,

and trying to think about being able

to be involved in one, or a couple of them,

was just something

you'd laugh about as a kid.

If you told your teacher

you were going to do that,

he'd probably piss himself laughing at you.

Growing up, like I say, the FA Cup,

it was huge.

The game, the build-up,

and also what we got to experience

was FA Cup songs as well.

So here we go, here we go...

When you're singing with one United voice

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