Modest Manchester United Icon Plays Down Impact

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes believes he has made a modest impact since making his sensational playing return at Old Trafford earlier in the month.

Scholes' shocked the footballing fraternity when he made a hugely unexpected return to Manchester United prior to the FA Cup third round tie against Manchester City.

The 37-year-old has played a part in all of Manchester United's victories since his return, initially in the aforementioned game at the Etihad, against Bolton in which he scored, and then on Sunday against Arsenal, and his teammates have been fulsome in their praise of the Old Trafford veteran.

Despite his assured presence and patent Premier League title experience, Scholes suggests his impact at Manchester United has been minimal.

Scholes had been working with Manchester United's reserve team in conjunction with Warren Joyce prior to reneging on his retirement, and he believes being in and around the club has helped his reintegration back in the Old Trafford first team.

"I don't think I've had too big an effect," Scholes told Manchester United's official website.

"[Playing again] does take a bit of getting used to but the advantage I'd had was that I'd been at the club for the last four or five months doing a bit of coaching.

"I'd obviously seen the lads every day so it wasn't too difficult to settle back in."

Paul Scholes and his former Manchester United teammate, Gary Neville, were honoured at a Football Writers' dinner on Sunday night, and the latter ex-fullback believes the diminutive playmaker is one of the all-time greats whose enduring quality is a testament to his professionalism.

"He (Paul Scholes) is a great player and the best I've ever played with; to be fair most players who have played with him or against him say the same thing." Neville told the Daily Mail.

"You can think about people who played for the club for three, four or five years and had a great impact, but Scholesy and Ryan (Giggs) have played for the club for 20 years and had an impact season after season.

"You see him getting mentioned in the same league as (Zinedine) Zidane and Xavi, which he constantly does, not by me but by people who know much more about the game than me and who have played against him."

Scholes was a second half substitute during Manchester United's 2-1 victory over Arsenal on Sunday. The Red Devils' victory ensured Sir Alex Ferguson's side maintained their pursuit on league leaders Manchester City.