Manchester United legend Paul Scholes believes the quality of the Premier League is diminishing, claiming there are only three players who really excite him in England’s top division.
Scholes, who is the most decorated English player of all time, with 25 trophies amassed whilst at the Red Devils, spends his time these days as co-owner of Salford City, who ply their trade in the National League North, two divisions below the Football League.
The Premier League claims to be the best league in the world, with the latest TV rights deal costing £5.14billion, a 71 per cent increase on the previous deal.
However Scholes, who retired from playing in 2013, says he gets more enjoyment from watching Salford.
“I probably do enjoy watching Salford more,” said Scholes.
“I don’t know if it’s as much that I don’t like the hassle of going to the game, getting in, sitting in traffic.
“Going to Salford, I park up behind the goal and get out of my car. But I genuinely get more enjoyment from watching even my son’s team, Royter Town.”
Scholes, 41, also insists the Premier League is below the standard of Spain’s La Liga, which he rates as the best.
He said, in his new book, Class of 92: Out of our League:
“In the Premier League in the last two years, have I really seen a game of high quality? A game that I’ve thought ‘Wow!’ It’s difficult to think of any.
“You hear about people saying English football’s the best football there is around. I think Spain’s by far the best league. Germany has better teams. In Italy probably the strength in depth isn’t great.
“They talk about Italy being a bad league but I don’t think English people look at it. They say it’s boring. No chance. The Juventus team would beat any team in this league.
“They came up to Manchester City and beat them easy. But we have this interpretation of the Italian league that it’s rubbish. They only try to defend. No chance.
“There needs to be a real step up in quality in England. Other than Sergio Agüero, Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva, we don’t have the best players. All the best players are in other countries.
“The best players are in Spain or at Bayern Munich and Juventus. We’re linked with big players – Gareth Bale is a top player – but we don’t get them now. Not any more.
“You never see a Lionel Messi coming over here, you never see a Neymar in the Premier League.”
By Steve Osborne @BlizzardSteve75
