Action Synthesizer Hero

Mainly Paul Scholes today.

Tributes.

From The Sun:

In a rare interview at Euro 2004, we asked him what he wanted to be remembered for.

He shrugged and said: "I just hope people think I was a half-decent player."

That and a bit more.

Matt Lawton in The Mail:

He was a wonderful contradiction. While he was attracting plaudits from one end of the football alphabet to the other, from Sir Alex Ferguson to Zinedine Zidane, Oldham's most gifted fan would name Andy Ritchie as his hero. 

Jamie Redknapp makes a joke about his tackling in the first few sentences so I didn't read the rest. Because that's what he should be remembered for. 

As Henry Winter says:

The scars Scholes left on a few opponents have long faded. The memories he bequeaths will never die.

I also like this:

For someone who hates being in the headlines he keeps making them. Among his Oldham programme collection is his United medal haul of 10 Premier Leagues and two Champions Leagues (though he missed the '99 final).

The Independent have every man and his dog with a comment.

Kevin McCarra praises him for overcoming:

It is one of the glories of football that a scrawny and diminutive youngster with asthma can become a titan. Scholes moved people with the incongruity of his achievements as much as the impact of his play. He had emerged well before the period when sports science could help take, say, Lionel Messi from being a boy with growth-hormone deficiencies to a terror of a centre-forward.

The Guardian has Paul Scholes' statement:

"I am not a man of many words but I can honestly say that playing football is all I have ever wanted to do," said the famously reticent Scholes. "To have had such a long and successful career at Manchester United has been a real honour. To have been part of the team that helped the club reach a record 19th title is a great privilege.

"I would like to thank the fans for their tremendous support throughout my career, I would also like to thank all the coaches and players that I have worked with over the years. But most of all I would like to thank Sir Alex for being such a great manager. From the day I joined the club his door has always been open and I know this team will go on to win many more trophies under his leadership."

And speculation on what next:

Scholes may replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in charge of United's reserves next season, with Warren Joyce having operated alone since the Norwegian rejoined Molde in January, and had indicated this season would be his last by surprisingly agreeing to a book deal and a testimonial, to be held in August.

Elsewhere, nothing much.  Rio and England and Capello if you're interested in that type of thing.

And The Telegraph have some quotes from Rooney taken from an interview with TalkSport yesterday:

“I’ll never recover from being banned for the FA Cup semi-final, which we lost. I can never get that back,” he said.

“I’m sorry I did it [swear at the camera]. I didn’t mean it, I didn’t aim it at anyone.

“It was just an emotion. You have to be conscious of the cameras but sometimes you just can’t stop yourself. But the FA banned me.”

The same article claims Michael Owen's future (or not) at the club will be sorted today. As indeed I've just seen on twitter that it has been and he's staying another year.