Manchester United legend Roy Keane has shared Paul Scholes’ telling reaction after his former Red Devils teammate would return from international duty with England.
Scholes was part of the stacked so-called ‘Golden Generation’ of England players alongside the likes of Rio Ferdinand, David Beckham and Gary Neville.
However, the Golden Generation failed to deliver on the high expectations placed on them and they didn’t capture any major silverware with England.
Scholes, who received his England debut under Glenn Hoddle, made 66 senior appearances for the Three Lions and scored 14 times for his country.
However, the 49-year-old United legend didn’t have the same impact on England as he did under legendary former manager Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford.
Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson would play Scholes out on the left flank to accommodate both Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard in his team.
Scholes’ influence for United came from the centre of the pitch and the former Red Devils midfielder failed to exert the same influence out from the left for England.
Keane on Scholes’ reaction after England duty
Scholes represented England at two World Cup competitions and two Euros before he called it time on his international career with the Three Lions in 2004.
Scholes’ former England teammate Lampard appeared on the latest Stick to Football show alongside Neville, Keane, Jamie Carragher, Ian Wright and Jill Scott.
Keane revealed that Scholes “never used” to like going away with England and would make his feelings clear when he returned from international duty.
“Obviously, you’re [England] playing at Wembley all the time, you get that momentum, then there is more pressure,” he said on The Overlap.
“Obviously, the lads are based in England, you’ve got family, surely all that comes into play because sometimes being away for kind [of] a long spell didn’t seem to suit certain countries.
“You’d obviously hear the Brazilian lads, they loved being away for four or five weeks together, but as you said, especially if you think the lads [in the England camp] weren’t getting on that well together, that does make it a long tournament when you’re away.”
Keane added: “Scholesy never used to like going away. For example, Scholesy used to come back – you’re on about Scholesy kind of retired from England – he was still fairly young, but he used to come back and he didn’t like it.”
United legend Scholes on retiring from England
Scholes continued to play for United long after his England retirement, with the former Red Devils star calling it time on his club career for the final time in 2013.
The United legend was approached by former Three Lions managers Steve McClaren and Fabio Capello about making a U-turn on his retirement from international duty.
Scholes later admitted that he did regret retiring from England too soon in his career and said he was “judged on” one thing mainly during his time in a Three Lions shirt.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live in 2020, he said: “I know a lot was made of Sven-Goran Eriksson playing me on the left-hand side of midfield but that was never the problem.
“My form in the last 20 or 30 caps wasn’t quite good enough and Steven and Frank were two top-class players who he went with centrally.
“I was on the left but I played there many times for United and was quite successful there, scored a few goals, so it was never really why I left England. It was just a personal choice.
“I do regret leaving England so soon. I went back to United and my football changed.
“I had been a player who was expected to score goals all the time for England, which I was judged on.”
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