Former Premier League midfielder Barry Ferguson has named Paul Scholes as the toughest opponent he faced, placing the Manchester United legend above Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard.
Scholes, Gerrard and Lampard were among the most celebrated players of their era and key figures for England. Scholes often found himself the odd man out for his country, with Sven Goran Eriksson frequently shifting him to the left flank to accommodate the other two, which led to his early retirement from the international scene in 2004 at the age of 29.
Ferguson's verdict on Scholes
Speaking on William Hill's podcast, The Warm-Up with Chris Boyd and Chris Sutton, the former Blackburn and Birmingham midfielder said: "Paul Scholes was the toughest opponent I faced in the Premier League."
He added: "He could do everything with a football. I could say the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira because they were all world-class players, but I didn't like playing against Scholes."
What made Scholes so difficult
Explaining the challenge of facing Scholes, the Scot said: "I never knew where he was or what he was going to do and he had a nasty side to him as well."
"But he really could do anything he wanted with a football, he was top class. The other players I mentioned were all top class, but there was just something about Scholes."
"You couldn't pin him down, you didn’t know where he was, and he had a range of passing which was ridiculous. He was a top player."
Where they are now
Scholes, one of the most decorated players in Manchester United's history, is now a pundit and football director at League Two Salford City, where he is a former co-owner. He has not ventured into full-time management like Gerrard and Lampard.
Gerrard has had spells at Rangers, Aston Villa and Saudi side Al-Ettifaq. After stints at Derby County, Chelsea (twice) and Everton, Lampard led Coventry City to the Championship title last season.
