Manchester United: Paul Scholes regrets staying after Sergio Aguero won Man City the title

Paul Scholes regrets choosing to play on for Manchester United the season after Sergio Aguero had crowned Manchester City as champions.

Scholes was part of the United side that watched on the big screen at Sunderland as City scored twice in the final few minutes to defeat Queens Park Rangers 3-2, sealing their first Premier League title.

It is one of the most iconic moments in the history of English football but it remains painful for Scholes and was not a moment he was keen to re-live as part of BT Sport’s ‘What I Wore‘ series. 

‘We went into Sunderland away and thought the league was gone,’ Scholes explains. 

‘City had to beat QPR at home and that’s not a problem, that will happen. We came off the pitch and they are 2-1 down with two minutes to go or something. 

‘I can’t believe you pulled (that Aguero shirt) out.  I can’t watch it, can’t listen to it…’

Asked if he would have hung up his boots had the result been different and it had been United celebrating another famous league title that year, he dismisses it.  

‘I’d have carried on,’ Scholes added, ‘but it was a mistake to carry on. Definitely a mistake. 

‘I can remember two or three games into that next season I thought “what have I done”?’ 

Scholes has retired a season prior having won the league title in 2010-11. His final game was losing the Champions League final to Barcelona. 

But having not taken to coaching – ‘I wasn’t really enjoying it then’ – he asked Sir Alex Ferguson if he could come back and he made his return against City in January 2012.

Scholes went on to ease the midfield crisis United suffered at the time and while City went on to win the league, he had had a strong end to the season and chose to continue – something he now regrets.   

Scholes became the latest former player to team up with BT in taking a trip down memory lane via his old shirts. 

He reflected on coming through the youth team and doing his first shirt justice to show respect to the likes of Bryan Robson, his successes in Europe, why he didn’t feel part of clinching the treble in 1999 having been suspended in the final and said he never liked the ‘material’ of the navy shirt he wore when he scored his memorable volley against Bradford City. 

Further episodes of What I Wore will be released in over the coming weeks and will be available to watch on the BT Sport YouTube channel, Twitter, Facebook and at BTSport.com/WhatIWore.