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New Delhi: Former Manchester United player and legend Paul Scholes has decided to quit football punditry. Speaking on the podcast 'Stick to Football', the midfielder who won Premier League and Champions League titles with Manchester United opened up on his decision.
He decided to leave football commentary to care for his autistic 20-year-old son, Ayden. Scholes said that everything he's going to do now just works around his son. The Man United legend further added that he does studio work, but everything is built around his day.
Scholes further said that last season he did the Europa League for Manchester United on Thursday night, and he used to leave his son during that time.
"So he was getting all agitated, biting and scratching. He knows the pattern’s not there straight away. And I did that for years really, always thinking I’ve got to stop this at some point, so I had the chance to do the podcast and I thought that would suit me more – well, not me, Aiden," he added.
He had kept his son’s diagnosis private for a very long time and even revealed that once Alex Ferguson even dropped him from a match when he was trying to handle the situation at home. Scholes now hopes that talking about the difficulties and the joyous moments of his son can help other families to deal with similar situations.
The Man United legend further added that he never got time from football, even when he was playing, and it was very hard for him in those days. He further said that the doctors didn't diagnose it when his son was two-and-a-half years old, but they knew very early that something was wrong. Scholes further said that when they did the diagnosis, he'd heard of it.
"I remember the first time after we were playing Derby away and I just didn’t want to be there. I remember the manager dropped me the week after actually, and I hadn’t told anyone. I ended up telling them a few weeks later, I think, as it was quite hard," he said.
The 50-year-old further added that he isn’t looking for any sympathy from people, but was more concerned about his son’s future. "The big concern now is, because you’re getting a bit older, what happens when you’re not here? That’s the thing that’s now on my mind all the time,".
Paul Scholes and Claire Froggatt were married for 27 years before taking a divorce in 2020. They have three children, Arron, Alica, and Aiden. Even after their separation, they work closely to care for Aiden.
