Man Utd boss Ferguson: Scholes could play another ten years

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson reckons comeback ace Paul Scholes could play until he's 50!

Fergie reckons Scholes will still be the best passer in football when he reaches middle age.

He said: “He’s trained really hard this week, quite intensively for two or three weeks, and he’s looking good. You can’t ignore the ­quality that he brings to the team. It’s just ­until the end of the season.

“He can pass the ball and has always had that great talent. He’d be able to do that when he’s 50. All of the ­players idolise Paul anyway and it was an easy decision to make.”

Fergie was desperate to keep ­Scholes’ return top secret so it would have maximum impact ahead of their tie with Roberto Mancini’s men.

United went to such lengths that Fergie refused to tell his players until Scholes walked into the dressing room two hours before kick-off.

Fergie added: “We registered him on the Friday and thought it would get out. We kept it as late as we could.

“Of course the game was on Sunday so you had Friday night, ­Saturday and Sunday morning to worry about it, but somehow we managed to keep it quiet. We didn’t let the players know.

“We did that because of the impact ­value. We were going away from home in a difficult FA Cup tie against City. We had 5,000 fans at the ground and as soon as they knew his name was on the team-sheet they were fantastic, there was a great response.

“There were no ­negatives as far as I was concerned. The only negative you were going to get was from the press, and one or two have been. They’re making out it’s been a ‘regressive step’. How can it be regressive? You’re getting a player for nothing who’s been part of the club for 20-odd years.

“He’s not going to play ­every game and Paul knows that. But in terms of composure and ­passing ability, is there a better player around? ­Definitely not.”