HE SCORES GOALS

Last updated : 08 December 2002 By Editor

"Scholes has been fantastic this season, absolutely marvellous. I think he listened to the critics too much last year when they kept bringing up his role in the team, but that's not a problem now.

"I simply explained to Paul that great players are capable of playing anywhere. I assured him that I wasn't asking him to do anything he couldn't do, that he should be able to adapt himself to play in any part of the pitch that I required of him.

"Very few players can do that, but Scholes is one of them - and I knew he was one of them. That's why, without question, I think Paul Scholes is the best player in England. He's got the best skills, the best brain. No one can match him."