“Who’s your favourite player?” Paul Scholes was asked by the international media on the eve of England’s grudge match against Argentina in Sapporo at the 2002 World Cup. Marco van Basten? Diego Maradona? Pele? Scholes considered the question.
He rarely spoke much on England duty, preferring to let his laser passing do the talking, passing so accurate he was dubbed “SatNav” by team-mates. The antithesis of the celebrity culture, Scholes has always been a very unaffected, honest character, not seeking the limelight. It’s just the limelight sought him such was his brilliance with the ball at his clever feet.
The FA had put him up for Fifa’s prestige set-piece press conference. Manchester United legend in the house, reporters from far and wide, standing room only. The question about his favourite player invited Scholes to lavish praise around the greats of world football. So who was it, Paul?
“Frankie Bunn,” Scholes replied.
Silence. Some of our international media friends looked to us for help. A few hurried whispers ensued of “Oldham Athletic. Scholes loves them”. And Bunn scored 35 times in 88 games for them. Noting the silence in Sapporo, Scholes himself helpfully added about Bunn, “He scored six goals in a League Cup tie against Scarborough once.” You’ll never sing that, Marco.
Scholes’ answer perhaps revealed his understated humour. He must have known the impact his response would make. But also his passion for Oldham was – is - real. His father Stewart took him to Boundary Park as a lad. When United challenged for the Treble in 1999, Scholes would still turn up at Oldham games, his distinctive ginger hair hidden under a bobble hat.
When one of our international colleagues tried again, seeking a more familiar world-renowned superstar name from Scholes, he answered, “Andy Ritchie.” 282 games for Oldham, 107 goals. His love of Oldham was – is - genuine so he named Bunn and Ritchie ahead of Van Basten, Maradona and Pele. It’s what Bunn and Ritchie meant to him. It was about connection with his father, about club allegiance, staying real and grounded. It’s about football family. It’s why he stayed at United his whole career.