Former Manchester United player Paul Scholes has decided to quit football punditry to take care of his 20-year-old autistic son, Aiden. The Red Devils legend has opened up about the challenges he has to go through while he looks after him, in an emotional interview. The former player’s son, according to Scholes, is non-verbal and was diagnosed with ‘severe autism’ when he was just two and a half years old.
Manchester United icon Paul Scholes leaves football punditry to take care of his autistic son
During an interview with his old team-mate Gary Neville on the Stick to Football podcast, the 50-year-old revealed that he had to give up on several television projects so that he could build a routine with his son. Scholes, on the aforementioned podcast said:
“All the work I do now is just around his routines, 'cos he has quite a strict routine every single day, so I just decided everything I'm going to do, it is around Aiden.”
Scholes, who spent his entire professional playing career with United, further revealed:
“We always do the same things with him as he doesn’t know what day of the week it is or time. But he’ll know from what we’re doing what day it is.”
The 11-time Premier League winner revealed that his son “loves swimming” and the two go for swimming after he picks his son “every Tuesday from his daycare.” Scholes also said that on Sundays, he picks his son up to go to Tesco where “he buys a trolley full of chocolate.”
Scholes revealed that his son will be turning 21 this December. While it used to be hardest in the early days of the diagnosis, Scholes, who is renowned for his technical skills, accurate passing, remained adamant that he does not want 'sympathy' for his experiences.
Scholes, who is well-known as one of the greatest midfielders of all-time, has won three FA Cups, two UEFA Champions League in addition to his 11 PL trophies. The former hung up his boots in May 2011 after his 718 appearances for the Premier League side which is the third highest number of games played by any player.