Paul Scholes at Man Utd: 718 games, 155 goals, 11 titles
By Arasi Rex · Updated 13 August 2026 · 6 min read
The best season of Paul Scholes' career was not the one that made him famous. Everyone knows 1998/99, the treble year, and everyone also knows the detail that defines it for Scholes: he missed the Champions League final, suspended for a booking picked up in the semi-final. His actual peak came four years later, in 2002/03, when he scored 14 league goals, the best return of his career, and was named in the PFA Team of the Year. For a midfielder who won 11 Premier League titles and finished with 718 appearances for Manchester United, the quiet season after the famous one is the one that deserves the closer look.
Paul Scholes at Man Utd: the quiet record breaker
Scholes played for one club. Born in Salford on 16 November 1974, he came through Manchester United's youth system, made his debut on 21 September 1994 and scored twice in a 2-1 win over Port Vale, and stayed until his final retirement in May 2013. The totals stack up against anyone in the club's history: 718 appearances, third most of any player to wear the shirt, and 155 goals. In the Premier League he recorded 499 appearances, 107 goals and 55 assists, per the official competition statistics.
The trophy count is where the numbers get unusual. Scholes won 25 major trophies with Manchester United, including 11 Premier League titles, more than any English player in the history of the competition. Add three FA Cups and two Champions League crowns, in 1999 and 2008, and the record is the profile of a midfielder who did not just last, he kept winning across two decades of change at the club.
Why 2002/03 was his peak, not the treble year
The treble season of 1998/99 is the one the highlights packages use, but the details work against it as a peak. Scholes scored the opening goal in the FA Cup final win over Newcastle, then sat out the Champions League final against Bayern Munich because of a yellow card in the semi-final second leg against Juventus. The season ended with the club's greatest trophy haul and him watching the decisive night from the bench. That is a famous season, not a personal best.
2002/03 is the actual answer. Scholes scored 14 league goals, the most he managed in any single Premier League season, playing off the front line of a United side that took the title back from Arsenal, and he was named in the PFA Team of the Year for that campaign. Across his career he won the Premier League Player of the Month award four times, in January 2003, December 2003, October 2006 and August 2010, and he made the PFA Team of the Year twice, in 2002/03 and 2006/07. The league's official body rated him in the best eleven at the exact moment his scoring peaked, which is a stronger claim than a trophy ceremony he could not attend.
The European nights that bookended his record
Scholes' Champions League story runs in two acts. In 1999 the suspension cost him the final, and the club won it without him. Nine years later he got the night back. On 23 April 2008 he made his 100th appearance in the competition in a goalless draw at Barcelona, and a week later, in the semi-final second leg at Old Trafford, he scored the only goal of the tie, a strike from 25 yards that sent United to Moscow, where they beat Chelsea on penalties to win the second European Cup of his career. The 2008 final completed the collection that the 1999 ban had left incomplete.
The comeback and the 700th appearance
Scholes announced his retirement in May 2011 and then returned to the squad in January 2012, mid-season, because Manchester United needed him back. He marked his 700th appearance for the club on 15 September 2012 with a goal in a 4-0 win over Wigan, a strike that meant he had scored in his 19th consecutive Premier League season, a run surpassed only by Ryan Giggs. His final season, 2012/13, ended with an 11th Premier League title, and he retired for the second and final time on 11 May 2013.
The honours list around the edges tells the same story as the medals. He was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2008, received the Football Writers' Association Tribute Award in 2012, and was named in the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2022. Those are career acknowledgements, which fits the pattern: Scholes was not the player who collected the seasonal individual prizes, he was the player the record books caught up with later.
Paul Scholes at Manchester United by the numbers
| Stat | Record |
|---|---|
| Club appearances | 718, third most in club history |
| Club goals | 155 |
| Premier League | 499 apps, 107 goals, 55 assists |
| Premier League titles | 11, most by any English player |
| Major trophies | 25 |
| FA Cup | 3 winners' medals |
| Champions League | 2, in 1999 and 2008 |
| Best league season | 14 goals in 2002/03, PFA Team of the Year |
| PL Player of the Month | 4 (Jan 2003, Dec 2003, Oct 2006, Aug 2010) |
| England | 66 caps, 14 goals, 1997-2004 |
Key takeaways
- Scholes made 718 appearances for Manchester United, third most in the club's history, and scored 155 goals from midfield.
- He won 11 Premier League titles, more than any English player, plus three FA Cups and two Champions Leagues, for 25 major trophies.
- His best league season was 2002/03 with 14 goals, not the 1998/99 treble year, when suspension kept him out of the Champions League final.
- He retired in May 2011, returned in January 2012, and scored on his 700th appearance in September 2012, his 19th consecutive Premier League season with a goal.
- He won 66 caps and scored 14 goals for England between 1997 and 2004.
FAQ
How many goals did Paul Scholes score for Manchester United?
155 in 718 appearances, the third most appearances in club history. He also recorded 107 Premier League goals and 55 assists in 499 league appearances.
How many Premier League titles did Scholes win?
Eleven, more than any English player in the history of the competition. His overall haul with Manchester United was 25 major trophies, including three FA Cups and two Champions League titles.
Why did Scholes miss the 1999 Champions League final?
He was suspended after receiving a yellow card in the semi-final second leg against Juventus. He scored the only goal of the 2008 semi-final against Barcelona instead, sending United to the final they won on penalties.
How many caps did Paul Scholes win for England?
66 caps and 14 goals between 1997 and 2004. He played in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups and the 2000 and 2004 European Championships, and retired from international football in August 2004.
When did Paul Scholes retire?
Twice. He first retired in May 2011, returned to the squad in January 2012, marked his 700th appearance in September 2012, won an 11th title in his final season, and retired for the final time on 11 May 2013.