Paul Scholes has admitted he believed his Manchester United career was coming to an end after a heated row with Sir Alex Ferguson in 2001.
The Manchester United legend has reflected on his fallout with Ferguson in the new… The great eras of football Podcast with former teammate Nicky Butt.
Scholes joked that he had earned a reputation as the “teacher’s pet” under the legendary Manchester United manager.
He revealed an occasion when he found himself on the receiving end of Ferguson’s famous ‘hairdryer treatment’ after a mistake he made during the 2001-02 Premier League season.
Scholes had come off the bench as Manchester United lost to Newcastle but his mistake proved costly as Alan Shearer put the Magpies 4-2 ahead.
Paul Scholes has reflected on the moment he thought Sir Alex Ferguson would sell him
Scholes admitted he had largely avoided Ferguson’s famous “hairdryer treatment” at Manchester United.
The midfielder infuriated Ferguson by responding after his mistake led to Newcastle’s winning goal against Manchester United in the 2001-02 Premier League season.
The former midfielder revealed that Ferguson had given him a dressing down after Manchester United suffered their first Premier League defeat of the season.
Scholes admitted it was a rare occasion where he had hit back at Ferguson, prompting the Manchester United boss to say he would “never play for the club again”.
“Everyone says I was like the teachers’ favourite and I was never given the hairdryer, but I did. I remember one in particular, at Newcastle, away from home. I was actually a substitute in that game,” Scholes said.
‘I think we were losing 3-0 at half-time, he brought me on with maybe 20 minutes to go and we went back to 3-2. I’m not saying it has nothing to do with me.
‘We went back to 3-2 and I tried to get a touch in the middle of the pitch, in the centre circle, they broke away and scored. Alan Shearer scored to make it 4-2. So we couldn’t get back into the game. And he was furious with me. He was absolutely…
“You know how when people would grab my hairdryer, or the blowdryer, as it was called, I would always grab it. I never talked back in my life. There were people, you know, there were people who talked back all the time. I think you would be the one to talk back.”
‘But for some reason, that day, I kept talking back to him. I didn’t agree with what he was saying. So, he kept saying things like “You’ll never play for this club again” and all that kind of usual stuff.
‘I got back on the bus that night. I remember thinking, “I’m gone. This is me, Monday morning. I’m signing for someone else.”
Scholes received an apology from Ferguson after the Manchester United manager re-watched the match.
Manchester United captain Roy Keane was sacked late in the game as Manchester United lost 4-3 away from home
Scholes had entered the match with Newcastle leading 3-1 thanks to goals from Laurent Robert, Rob Lee and Nikos Dabizas.
The midfielder played an immediate role in Manchester United’s return to the game, being key in setting up Ryan Giggs’ goal at St James’ Park.
Juan Sebastian Veron then equalised to make it 3-3 before Scholes’ error led to Newcastle’s eventual winner.
Scholes almost got his revenge with an equaliser, while captain Roy Keane was sent off late on after colliding with Shearer.
Despite Ferguson’s initial threat, Scholes was eventually saved after Ferguson re-watched the match and saw his overall impact on the game.
“He ended up watching the game on Sunday and came to see me on Monday morning and I thought, ‘I’m in big trouble,'” Scholes added.
Scholes would ultimately remain a key part of Ferguson’s team for the next decade.
‘He actually apologized to me and said, ‘I was wrong, you had an influence on the game.’
Butt replied, “I told you that you were his master’s favorite.”
Scholes would ultimately remain a key part of Ferguson’s team for another decade, before coming out of retirement in 2013.
He would eventually win 11 Premier League titles, three FA Cups and two Champions Leagues with Manchester United.
The best times in football with Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes. Episodes are available every Wednesday. You can watch the show on YouTube and Spotify or listen to it wherever you get your podcasts.
