Paul Scholes was one of England’s greatest players - but the Manchester United midfielder hated playing for his country.
Scholes confessed his aversion to international football when he sat down for a cup of tea with United’s Power Development coach Mick Clegg just before he told Sven Goran Eriksson he was no longer available for selection in August 2004. Both Steve McClaren and Fabio Capello tried to persuade the United playmaker to come out of retirement.
But Clegg knew that Scholes’ heart would not have been in it after a chat with the Salford-born midfielder over a strong cuppa. Clegg, who spent 11 years with United, recalled: “I had a kettle in the gym so that I didn’t have to keep nipping up to the canteen for a brew.