Ben Foster doesn’t have many positive memories of his time at Manchester United, and he once said that he felt like he “didn’t belong” there. The English goalie did not succeed Edwin van der Sar after joining the Red Devils from Stoke City in the summer of 2005.
Foster was fortunate to hold two Premier League winners’ medals with numerous United heroes, despite having a challenging time at Old Trafford. With 31 goals in 34 games during the 2007–09 season and 18 goals in 33 games the following season, Cristiano Ronaldo was instrumental in those two league victories.
Many people, including himself, believe that Ronaldo is the greatest player in history, but Foster chose another former United colleague. He emphasised the ease with which Paul Scholes handled everything.
Foster: The Best Player I’ve Ever Seen Is Scholes, Not Ronaldo
The former United goalie delivered an excellent verdict.
One of the most admired midfielders, Paul Scholes frequently left spectators in awe of his inventiveness and passing range. Foster was
He stated on The Squeaky Bum Time podcast in April 2020 that he was undoubtedly among those who enjoyed watching the former England international in action:
“I’ve never seen a better live performer than him. [Beyond Cristiano Ronaldo] Yes. Everything came so easily to him; he was effortless. If you watched him strike a ball, you would see that he made complete, 100% contact with the ball and didn’t miss any of it. He was stunning, and it was lovely to watch him play.
Paul Scholes’ Manchester United Career
Rivalry
The Premier League
Champions League
FA Cup
EFL Cup
UEFA Super Cup
FIFA Club World Cup
Looks
499
124
47
21
2.
One
Objectives
107
24
13.
9.
0
0
Helps
61
Twelve
6.
0
0
0
Yellow Cards
95
32
11.
2.
One
0
Red Cards
4
2.
2.
0
One
0
Trophies
11.
2.
4
2.
0
One
Scholes was a vital member of Sir Alex Ferguson’s United side during the Scot’s dominant era, helping his boss win 11 Premier League titles and an unprecedented treble in 1999. He scored several vital goals along the way with a sublime strike of the ball that Foster alluded to.
He struck a screamer against Barcelona on his way to winning the European championship in 2008, and he also had an absolutely amazing volley against Aston Villa at Villa Park in December 2007. Many contend that he should have been in Pep Guardiola’s Blaugrana midfield with Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, and Xavi because of his exceptional playmaking skills.
Cristiano Ronaldo: The greatest player I ever played with was Scholes The legendary United team played together for six years.
Ronaldo played with some of the greatest ball-playing midfielders in history, such as Xabi Alonso, Toni Kroos, and Luka Modric of Real Madrid. However, like Foster, he highlighted the impact the former English midfielder had on his early career while also implying Scholes was in a class of his own:
“Scholes is the greatest player I’ve ever played with, and he was a big help to me as a kid. He is incredible.
When a youthful Ronaldo joined the team in 2003, Scholes was getting into his forties, and they quickly became one of Ferguson’s most effective tools. The speed and decisive finishing of football’s all-time leading goalscorer combined with the famous playmaker’s amazing footballing IQ.
When considering the United squad of the mid-2000s, Scholes set up Ronaldo on five of the eight goals they shared, yet their connection is sometimes overlooked. During a 2-0 victory over AS Roma in 2008, one of those was a beautifully chipped cross that found its way to the Portuguese attacker, who soared to the top of the sky.
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