Filed under: Manchester United, Premier League, Football, World Cup 2010
During his football career, eager reporters barely heard a squeak out of Manchester United's Paul Scholes.Everybody knew that Scholes was intelligent, articulate and a deep thinker about the game - it was just that he opted not to show it and reporters handbooks and dictaphones remained empty whenever Scholes walked past.
However, now that he has swapped his boots for the pipe and slippers - and also because he has a testimonial to promote - Scholes has decided to voice a few opinions about football and specifically the national side.
And England's fans will be most interested in what he has to say as Scholes has pulled no punches about what it was like playing for his country.
Scholes was offered a last-gasp World Cup spot by Fabio Capello before last year's disastrous tournament in South Africa but the midfield great politely declined the request to pull on his national colours for one last major competition.
It is not hard to see why Scholes, who retired from international football in 2004, said no when you read his damning verdict on some of the prancers and chancers he believes have prevented England from becoming a force to be reckoned with.
He told the Mail on Sunday: "I just got fed up. When you are going to a team, you want to be part of a team and play well, but there are individuals who are after personal glory.
"I always felt when I first started with England that players - especially players at clubs like your Aston Villas - try to use England as a way to get to a top club.
"You feel, are they there for the right reason?
"I think they are very selfish people. They are all there to get their bit of glory, their bit of headlines, to think 'I will get a move from this'.
"I think that is the biggest problem with English players.
"I wanted to be part of a team and there were individuals who were after personal glory.
"Instead of making a simple pass of 10 yards, they might try to smack it 80 yards to get themselves noticed.
"Half the problem is players going into England games not caring."
Scholes' comments lift the lid on what it is like inside an England dressing room and seem to confirm what most supporters have felt for years - England's players just do not care enough.
The 36-year-old's words needs to be listened to and absorbed by Capello and all those at the FA who ridiculously still seem to believe that England are a major power.
The World Cup last year proved otherwise - and Scholes has now provided some of the answers as to why that is the case.
And it is just a shame he has kept his own counsel on the subject for so long because England's fans and the wider public deserve to have been told earlier about just how shortchanged they have been by the national team.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Mardy Fish Marin Cilic Matt Kuchar Maxi RodrÃguez Michael Ballack
No comments:
Post a Comment