more respect foreign [Music] [Applause] Manchester United's Midfield magician for two decades an 11-time English champion and two-time European Champion but no one not even skulls himself would have predicted the heights that he would reach born and Salford in Greater Manchester skulls was a small asthmatic kid but what he lacked in physicality he made up for in technique his first thoughts between 11 year old was quite amazing the power of power of his shot for an 11 year old was quite amazing after impressing at school he began training with Manchester United at 14. and again he
was unremarkable until he had the ball at his feet and he was talented but he at the time is so thin and so he didn't really think much of him you look at him and think well that's going to be the best Midfield player in the next 20 years in this country I thought I first met him when he came down um for trials and I just thought I can't believe what I'm seeing all this little guy he's only about three foot tall you know and all that business I thought you know it seems to
be up there with gigs it I don't think when you look at that youth team I don't think it was Paul scholes you would point to and say that guy is going to play for 20 years in the team because of his lackluster athleticism and the life he was leading at the time skulls himself never believed he would make it as professional I was never built to be a footballer I remember once probably 16 17 18 when I was with the youth team with Eric Harrison he ran me Dad and said we're a bit worried
about Paul's drinking and I always remember my dad said he said start to enjoy himself in it but that's what I was brought up Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday sometimes on a Monday was going out was you drinking how many times a week I need all that myself he did eventually change his ways as he got closer and closer to the first team impressing in United's 1992-93 fa youth Cup victory alongside the likes of Ryan Giggs David Beckham Nikki butt and the Neville Brothers in what would come to be known as the class of 92 skulls
would be given his senior debut by Sir Alex Ferguson on the 21st of September 1994. as he would go on to score a brace in a 2-1 Victory against Port Vale in the League Cup he made his Mark and would begin to see regular first-team action in the years to come he became known as a midfielder who scored like a striker and a midfielder who tackled like a psycho when I actually first played with him it was against marine and I was a bit concerned about all these young lads being booted about by these big
scousers and in the first five minutes of the game skulls he went straight through this Center off and I thought he has really got a chance always tackled me really bad at training and it don't know to tackle it's really clumsy and I was like cool see why what I have done to you did I own you some money and his answer was was always why not Patrice he would win his first FA Cup in 1994 and his first premier league in 1996 but he was without European silverware that was until 1999 where he would
get his hands on all three he scored in the FA Cup Final against Newcastle and in the Champions League quarterfinal against Intel but his rash tackling got the best of him in the semi-final against Juventus picking up a yellow card that saw him miss out on the final it was disappointing yeah not not to be a part of it I mean well I obviously got medals but as humble as they come he only ever cared about football the world now there's Twitter and there's this Facebook and you know what's the point in telling people what
you're doing why but his humility also affected his England career with the Midfield options of Paul scholes Stephen Gerrard and Frank Lampard The Three Lions won nothing with Paul even being shifted out to the left wing to accommodate the other two seeing his Club career and family life is more important he ended up retiring from International Duty in 2004. he's a brilliant player England should have got a lot more Outpost goals other countries will build teams around Paul scholes back at Club level he went from strength to strength and he finally had a striker as
intelligent as he was in rude van nistoroy as the pair struck up a telepathic partnership I love playing my route I knew what he wanted without speaking to him skull scored a career-highed 20 goals in the o-203 season as the trophies continued piling up he dictated the game for Manchester United with his laser-guided passes and his on-field awareness his 0607 campaign saw him nominated for the PFA Player of the Year losing out to teammate Cristiano Ronaldo but at least he was finally getting some recognition old school was just a head in his head it was
it was making them tick he was making man united every time we were playing them we needed to find a way to stop him he's the third though one of the best robot had an absolute question for that the touch of his quality was was different I mean how he impact the ball 30 meters and the ball how goes through the grass you know I mean this this was magical naturally skulls was unbelievable wasn't he yeah England he done things that I've not seen many players though I thought yeah I can see what the hype's
about but all of course Lampard all that lot but scozzi was the one technically it was just like ABC yeah easy it was a dream to play next to him for me he takes every box and if I had to pick you know a handful of top midfielders are my generation and he's certainly up there alongside the Jarvis and using yesterday his chance for European glory in his eyes would come again in 2008 beating Barcelona by Golden ill in the semi-final with the finest goal of his career or the Barcelona 2000s or not either way
he managed 87 minutes in the final against Chelsea as United would win on penalties in the Moscow Reign and he could finally say he had earned his medal he would continue running the Midfield adult Trafford in the years that followed finally completing his collection of English trophies winning The League Cup in 2009 and 10. and no matter how much the team changed around him you couldn't disrupt The Genius of skulls sometimes in trading I'm just laughing because it's just almost not possible what he's doing with the ball he's always calm always the the boss of
the situation wherever he is in one touch to touch for him it's so easy the way you play it he's beautiful you learn a lot he prematurely retired from football in 2011 but less than a year later he was back in a red jersey due to an injury crisis in Midfield and as a local lad it was fitting for him to return during a 3-2 win over Manchester City I learned a new growing up was you have a city look it was a big game yeah but city was always the one for me even when
they're in League one Whatever whatever they were in they were always the one [Applause] oh for close goals they've won it Manchester United he would stay until the end of the 2012-13 season going out with Sir Alex as Premier League champions goals on 717 appearances 155 goals countless great memories and 20 major trophies Josh what a wonderful career what a wonderful after 19 Top Flight Seasons he was united through and through with Inter Milan being the only team brave enough ever to try to sign him he will be remembered as a footballing legend not that
it matters to him though how would you like to be remembered don't care people remember they want to remember as a good footballer I suppose that's it I don't care about anything else
