Manchester United and Premier League legend Paul Scholes was recently tasked with building his ‘perfect player’ from a selection of Reds past and present. Safe to say this fantasy footballer would be an absolute world-beater.
The now-retired midfielder turned occasional pundit sat down with MUTV to discuss what Man United talents new and old would make up the so-called ‘perfect player’ capable of bossing it in his era as well in the present day.
Regarded as one of the best players of his generation not only in England but in Europe, in general, it’s fair to say Scholes knows a thing or two about football, so if this mish-mash of different players is the one he believes would make the perfect individual on the pitch then we’re fairly happy to take his word for it.
However, perhaps the most interesting about this hypothetical player is that despite being quite negative about the state of the club pretty much ever since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, he actually settled on picking two current United squad members to make up his perfect player.
Breaking this mythical footballing maestro down into core traits and even designating specific players for specific feet, there is no doubt that this imaginary player would win a Ballon d’Or in the blink of an eye.
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Without further ado, here is Paul Scholes’ perfect United player, step by step:
Right foot – David Beckham
Left foot – Ryan Giggs
Heading – Cristiano Ronaldo
Pace – Marcus Rashford
Tackling – Nicky Butt
Finishing – Ruud van Nistelrooy
Strength – Jaap Stam
Skills – Cristiano Ronaldo
Vision – Bruno Fernandes
Mentality – Roy Keane
Explaining his picks, he said Becks‘ right foot picked itself simply because of his “free-kicks, his corners, his set-pieces, his passing” and, as for the left, “when dribbling, that ball stuck to [Giggs‘] foot.” He had pretty sound reasoning for most of them, to be honest.
When it came to the two current United players in his ideal build, he picked Marcus Rashford due to the fact “he can go past a man either way with that speed and pace” and Bruno Fernandes because he possesses the same key trait that made Scholes the incredible player he was: vision.
“He sees everything on a football pitch. He plays in that position and he’s actually played a bit deeper. I love him in that role… He’s not afraid to lose the ball, we all say at United, you have to be prepared to take risks, he’s prepared to do that and we all know the ability he’s got.”
All told he’s built quite the player here, hasn’t he? Certainly one capable of walking into any of the top teams in Europe today.
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What would your perfect player look like? And you don’t just have to stick to United players — we’re sure there are plenty of Blues that wouldn’t have a Red anywhere near their list.
A release date for the Freddie Flintoff documentary has been confirmed
Danny Jones
The release date for the upcoming Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff documentary has been revealed, and it’s coming a lot sooner than many expected.
Simply entitled Flintoff, the documentary has been highly anticipated among UK audiences, especially given events in recent years.
Landing on Disney+ only, the film will follow his glittering cricket career as well as his return to the sport and the public after a life-altering car crash whilst filming Top Gear in 2022.
Much to our surprise, it’s all ready to go and is dropping next month.
— What’s On Disney Plus (@disneyplusnews) April 11, 2025
The Disney+ doc will run for approximately 90 minutes and follow on from his recent BBC series, Freddie Flintoff‘s Field of Dreams, which saw him start to open up about the difficult period and recovery publicly for the first time.
An eye-opening and candid show in its own right alongside the inspiring story of a teen cricket team being coached by the Lancashire and England legend, he won even more hearts when the second season launched last August.
It’s no surprise that there is a third instalment on its way next year.
It’s also worth noting that this isn’t the first time he’s been the subject of his own documentary, as the 47-year-old also released a BBC One called Freddie Flintoff: Living with Bulimia, charting his personal struggles with the eating disorder and mental health even prior to the trauma of his crash.
You can see a snippet of the one-off show down below.
The Preston-born all-rounder has confessed he still suffers from PTSD following the incident, detailing struggles with anxiety, nightmares and flashbacks of the crash, insisting that it “changed my life forever.”
All that being said, we’re glad to see that he’s continued to overcome numerous obstacles and remains an extremely funny and personable figure, as well as an eternal icon of British sport that so many admire.
As for Disney’s Flintoff film, the documentary will be available exclusively on the streaming platform in the UK and Ireland from Friday, April 25.
The first-ever Gladiators Live Tour is coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
Gladiators, ready! Mancs, ready? We certainly hope so because the first-ever ‘Gladiators Live Tour’ is setting across the UK and is coming to Manchester.
When we first heard that the beloved British version of the hit TV show (which first ran here in the UK for eight seasons between 1992 and 2000) was coming back, we were buzzing, and now we’ve heard it’s coming to us live and in person, we’re about ready to fight you with big pugil sticks over a seat.
Since returning in 2024 and the second series beginning at the start of this year on BBC One and Player, with a third season set for January 2026, Gladiators has recaptured imaginations across the country, bringing in both new viewers and those who remember the original back to the screen.
We’ve always wondered what it would be like to take part – not that we’d stand a chance, mind you – but we suppose seeing the Gladiators in action live right here in Manchester is the next best thing.
Set to deliver an action-packed experience, the global debut of the Gladiators Live Tour is ready to drop a superhero landing in the heart of Manchester city centre at none other than the legendary AO Arena.
Promising a thrilling two-hour watch featuring fan-favourite events and, of course, an ultimate Eliminator, the live Gladiators experience has all the charm of the much-loved TV show with the added excitement of different twists each night.
There are a pair of dates in Manchester, as well as two events a pieces available in Liverpool, London and Birmingham, with the AO matinee shows spread across a weekend this autumn.
It goes without saying that the fast-paced and fun-for-all-ages spectacle will see some serious athleticism and stunts, as well as purpose-built sets and state-of-the-art lighting in order to bring the gladiatorial battleground truly to life in front of your very eyes.
We may have just missed out on the latest recruitment drive, but we can guarantee you’ll find us out there in the audience.
GLADIATORS, READY!⚡ For the first time ever, the Gladiators Live Tour is here to electrify Manchester!
Gladiators The Live Tour comes to Manchester on 22 and 23 November 2025, and you have two chances to access pre-sale: first through the AO Arena itself from 10am on Tuesday, 15 April and then again the following day if you’re a Three Mobile member.
As for general admission, tickets go live at 10am on Thursday, 17 April and trust us, these things will go faster than a round of ‘Unleashed’.
Danny Jones -
3rd August 2023 
