Manchester United legend Paul Scholes ordered his daughter Alicia to remove an Arsenal shirt moments before the Premier League clash between the two sides at Old Trafford on Sunday. The 50-year-old former midfielder reacted sharply upon seeing his 24-year-old daughter wearing the Gunners' jersey, telling her: 'Take it off.' Alicia, however, declined the demand.
Alicia Scholes, a professional netball player for London Pulse in the Netball Super League and an England international, captured the incident on video and posted it on Instagram. The awkward moment occurred as the family prepared to watch United host Arsenal, a match the visitors eventually won 1-0 thanks to Riccardo Calafiori's first-half header.
Paul Scholes, who has three children with his wife Claire Froggatt, has previously expressed cautious optimism about Manchester United's season. Speaking before the match, he said: 'It's a tricky one after being so bad last year. Now seasons can change... I think top six would be more than acceptable.' He acknowledged the strong competition from other top clubs.
The former England international also reflected on the challenges facing the current United squad under manager Ruben Amorim. Scholes noted issues in midfield and the abundance of quality teams such as Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Newcastle, making the fight for a top-six finish highly competitive.
Manchester United are set to travel to Fulham on Sunday for their next match. Scholes will likely hope his daughter avoids wearing a Fulham shirt on that occasion.
