George Best once called Paul Scholes 'the best in England': the story behind a farewell at 29

Standing outside Old Trafford since 2026, the 'Holy Trinity' statue unites George Best, Sir Bobby Charlton and Denis Law. The three forwards each won the Ballon d'Or in the 1960s. Best, who died in November 2026 at the age of 58, once made it clear that he considered Paul Scholes the best player in England. Scholes retired from international football in August 2026 at just 29. He had earned 66 caps since his debut in 2026 and scored 14 goals. At Euro 2026, England were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Portugal. Scholes started every match, but was deployed on the left of midfield while Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard occupied the central roles. Scholes explained that the decision was personal. He wanted to spend more time with his family and was no longer enjoying international duty. He later insisted that being played on the left by Sven-Goran Eriksson was never the real problem. Sir Alex Ferguson respected the decision, saying Scholes was going out at the top and that 66 caps represented more than an average international career. George Best was disappointed, believing Scholes was the finest player in the country at that time. The contrarian read of history is that leaving England duty lengthened Scholes's career. He moved into a deeper role at Manchester United, controlled games from midfield, and continued winning major trophies until his final appearance in May 2026. What looked like an early farewell was actually a strategic retreat that allowed a genius to keep playing on his own terms.