Man Utd star ‘calls for coaching floor showdown with Paul Scholes however bottles it’

Paul Scholes says he had a complaint from a “touchy” Manchester United player who wasn’t happy about his punditry and said he wanted to meet, but then never contacted him again

Paul Scholes has revealed one of Manchester United‘s current stars was so upset with his criticism of him he asked for showdown talks at the club’s training ground.

Scholes is one of a number of United’s legends to become a successful pundit. This role involves him having to assess the performances of colleagues and former team-mates at the Premier League strugglers.

The 50-year-old has earned a reputation for being harsh on certain individuals at times. And Scholes admits one occasion when a player took such offence to what he’d said that he wanted to meet him to thrash things out.

Speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate, brought to you by Sky Bet, Scholes said: “Players can be a little bit touchy these days.

“I had a player, this year, who contacted me and wasn’t happy with some of the things I’d said.

“He wanted to meet me at the training ground, and I said, ‘of course, no problem,’ and gave him my number, but he never got back to me.

“I would have done it. If I’m saying things I believe and he wants me to explain why, it wouldn’t have been a nice conversation.

“But I said if they or anyone else has a problem, there’s my phone number.”

Scholes believes current footballers should have thicker skin – and not let what’s said about them affect them.

He added: “What we say [as pundits] shouldn’t affect a player.

“The only people that should affect the players is what the manager thinks, the coaching staff, and their team-mates. ]

“Whatever is said on TV should be taken with a pinch of salt.

“I’m not even sure how many players these days watch football and watch what we’re saying.

“There was one United player who obviously took a bit of offence to what I said, but you just deal with it.

“If he thinks he needs an explanation or a meeting over a tea or coffee, I’d be happy to give it.”