Paul Scholes will forever be remembered as a genuine Manchester United legend.
The midfielder made 718 appearances and scored 155 goals for United spanning two separate spells in a decorated playing career during which time he lifted 25 trophies, 11 of them being Premier League titles.
Under Sir Alex Ferguson, with whom he announced his retirement from the game alongside in 2013, Scholes was a significant figure in United becoming a powerhouse of English football in the 1990s and 2000s.
He of course played with some seriously talented players during that time, too; from goalkeepers through to forwards, Scholes could name four or five sides from differing generations who he played alongside at Old Trafford.
Which XI did Scholes play with the most over that time, though? We totted up the appearances and playing minutes of those stars who featured with Scholes, via Transfermarkt - this isn’t necessarily the best XI of former teammates, but this side is made up of his most common colleagues.
We’ve drawn up an 11-man starting XI, not including Scholes himself, but to put into perspective the depth in quality of player that Scholes ran out with, the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Andy Cole, Peter Schmeichel, Patrice Evra, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Michael Carrick and Nemanja Vidic are among the distinguished company who don’t make the cut.
Edwin van der Sar
Games played with Scholes: 175
After a period where replacing Peter Schmeichel proved to be a problem, Sir Alex moved to bring in Edwin van der Sar from Fulham. The Dutch international was 34, but he managed six terrific years in between the sticks at Old Trafford and secured four league titles during that spell.
Previous experience of England with Fulham and an impressive CV which included stints at Ajax and Juventus stood up and he proved to be a safe pair of hands.
Gary Neville
Games played with Scholes: 466
A fellow member of the class of ‘92, Gary Neville was the player on the list who was second only to Ryan Giggs having racked up over 33,000 minutes of shared game time with Scholes with United and England.
Right-back Neville, like Scholes a fellow TV pundit these days, combined for nine goals with Scholes over those years of success. He was on hand to plant an affectionate kiss on his teammate when the midfielder nodded in the winner at City in 2010. The pair work together nowadays on the Salford City front.
Rio Ferdinand
Games played with Scholes: 293
Even though he came with a big price-tag at the time, Rio Ferdinand proved to be one of the best signings of the Ferguson era in terms of what he contributed - and what he achieved in a red shirt.
Arriving from Leeds, ball playing defender Ferdinand was a regular in the side and struck up a particularly fruitful partnership with Vidic over an extended period. Like Neville, Ferdinand featured in the same England side as Scholes.
Wes Brown
Games played with Scholes: 255
The Longsight lad, another famed academy product, proved to be a very reliable individual when presented with an opportunity - and he was handed them often, racking up 255 outings with Scholes alone for club and country.
Like so many others in the back-line, including John O’Shea, Wes Brown’s versatility ensured that he was given chances to impress; for example, he played right-back in the 2008 Champions League final and assisted Cristiano Ronaldo. Brown was, though, a centre half by trade.
Mikael Silvestre
Games played with Scholes: 266
Perhaps one of the more surprising inclusions in this side, French defender Mikael Silvestre spent just shy of 20,000 minutes on the same pitch as Scholes while at United.
Frenchman Silvestre arrived as a centre-half, but quickly made his name as a rampaging left-back who enjoyed getting forwards. Silvestre spent nine years at the club, and eventually ended up at Arsenal.
Roy Keane
Games played with Scholes: 317
Scholes’ fearsome midfield partner. The pair worked so well in tandem with one another, and to manage it with such a degree of longevity is a real feat.
Roy Keane arrived from Nottingham Forest in 1993 and was a couple of years older than young Scholes who was breaking through, but the pair struck up a fruitful partnership. Indeed their respective attributes complemented one another, and Keane & Scholes combined to produce nine goals between them.
Nicky Butt
Games played with Scholes: 263
Another fellow academy product, and another very honest and dependable figure who gave his all for the United course over an extended period.
Nicky Butt made his breakthrough into the first team at the same time as Scholes, and the duo featured in 263 outings for both Ferguson’s United and the England set-up.
Gorton-born Butt went on to enjoy spells at Newcastle United and Birmingham City.
Ryan Giggs (c)
Games played with Scholes: 478
Giggs and Scholes. You can’t mention one without the other springing to mind. Two of Ferguson’s most trusted disciples, who enjoyed the same successes from the mid-90s through to Scholes’ retirement in 2013.
To clock up 478 appearances for a single club alone is an achievement alone, but to do it as a pairing is quite something else entirely. That translates to just shy of 30,000 minutes together.
Ryan Giggs, whose career and record speak for themselves, sits comfortably at the top of the list.
David Beckham
Games played with Scholes: 342
David Beckham, who so often played to Scholes’ right, is actually third on this list behind Neville and Giggs, despite leaving United for Real Madrid in 2003. That tells you how relied upon the pair were throughout the 1990s as United dominated English football.
With Beckham’s wicked right foot and Scholes’ runs into the box, the duo produced 17 goals while on the pitch together for United and England.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Games played with Scholes: 256
The current Manchester United manager plays as one of two forwards in our old school 4-4-2 formation here.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the Baby-Faced Assassin, played in 256 matches alongside Scholes and of course sparked pandemonium at the Nou Camp in 1999 on a night which Scholes and Keane missed.
The pair combined to great effect in between the lines of midfield and attack on a number of occasions.
Wayne Rooney
Games played with Scholes: 242
Wayne Rooney is the next highest forward on this list, ahead of Cole, Van Nistelrooy, Yorke and Sheringham.
Like Scholes, Rooney tallied up a huge number of appearances under Ferguson - and beyond the legendary manager’s tenure - and just shy of 250 of them for club and country were made in the same company as Scholes.
Rooney, like Scholes himself, has moved into management since retiring.
