Scholesy's sights set

Paul Scholes will prolong his United career for as long as he can contribute to the cause, and insists he will not be talked out of international retirement.

The veteran midfielder curtailed his England career after Euro 2004 and, at 34, has continued to shine at club level in an epic Reds career. Although a host of young talents are coming through the United ranks, Scholes isn't ready to step aside just yet.

"I will carry on as long as I can. As long as I feel I am still contributing to United I want to carry on," he told the Manchester Evening News. "When I eventually stop then I will think about what I want to do from then on. If I feel I can still be of worth I will carry on. If not I will go.

"I am sure the manager will say something as well! If he turns round to me and says I am not doing enough anymore then fair enough that will be it. It is part of life. I don't worry about it. You get too old and you can't do what you used to. You have to accept it.

"I am 34 in November and hope to still be playing at 35. Anything after that if I am still playing well and doing something for the team then it will be a bonus."

Scholes has often been cited as the creative spark England have laboured without in recent years, and he admits he did contemplate returning to the international fold when Steve McClaren took the Three Lions job in 2006, only to conclude that he had already made the right choice.

"A couple of years ago I did think about coming out of international retirement," he said. "I spoke to Steve McClaren a couple of times about it when he became the new coach. I considered it quite strongly for a while.

"But in the end I came to the conclusion that I had made the right decision in the first place and I didn't want to go back.

"When Steve was appointed he rang and asked me to return. Just the fact the England manager had rung and asked me to come back and play for my country meant a lot to me.

"He didn't have to do that but he went out of his way to ring me and also came down to training and asked if I fancied it.

"I did think about it but I don't really think I was ever that close that I would have said yes. It wasn't about not thinking it was too much or I wasn't capable it was just the fact that when I was playing I wasn't enjoying it one little bit.

"So I thought the time was right to get out and I finally decided it wasn't right to go back into it all again."