Paul Scholes says asking former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson for a pay rise after a lucrative offer from another club is his ‘biggest regret in football’.
Scholes attracted interest from Serie A giants Inter Milan after helping United win the treble in 1999-2000.
According to the ex-England midfielder, Inter offered him a deal worth £4m-a-year after tax – which was ‘more than double’ his current salary at Old Trafford.
Scholes rejected the approach, which was made through Ryan Giggs’ agent Harry Swales, but decided to go to Fergie soon after and ask for a pay rise.
Ferguson was typically forthright during what Scholes hoped would be a contract negotiation and immediately dismissed the player’s request.
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‘I was 25 and Inter Milan wanted to give me £4million a year, tax-free. Back then, that was massive,’ Scholes said on The Overlap.
‘It was probably more than double what I was on at United. I remember seeing it on the back of the paper: £30million to Inter Milan or something.
‘But I never heard anything about it again. It just vanished. I said no to Harry [Swales].
‘I actually still put up the courage [to ask Fergie for a pay rise], I thought, I’m still going to go to him.
‘I think I said something like, I think I deserve more money, or I want to be on more money.
‘What am I doing? I’m just looking at him and he pulled out that little black book he always had… You remember the little black book he has?
‘So, he’s flicking through the pages for like five minutes and then he goes, “No, I think you’re all right. I think you’re level with everyone. It’s fine.”
‘That was it. “I think what you’re on is good, yeah”. All right, thanks. See you later.’
‘That is the worst. That’s my biggest regret in football, doing that. It was horrible. My heart is beating now just thinking about it because I feel so bad about doing it.’
Fellow Manchester United legend Gary Neville defended Scholes’ request, especially as another club had approached him with more money.
‘It’s not mad really,’ said Neville, who is part of the ownership group at League Two side Salford.
‘If you think about the level you were playing at, you’d just won the treble, you’re one of the best midfielders in Europe and you’re asking for money that other clubs were offering you.
‘I know how hard that would have been for you but it’s not a mad thing to do.’
But Scholes added: ‘It is mad though because I was at Manchester United, I was at the club of my dreams.’
Explaining his decision to snub Inter Milan in another interview, Scholes said: ‘If the manager said to me that he didn’t want me I would definitely have gone.
‘If there was a big club abroad who wanted me I would have gone but there was never any need to ever think about Barcelona, Real Madrid or AC Milan.
‘I was already at the biggest club in the world anyway.’
Ex-Inter president Massimo Moratti, meanwhile, later opened up on his and the club’s interest in Scholes, which was blocked by Fergie.
‘We tried really hard to sign Paul Scholes, we even gave Manchester United a blank cheque,’ Moratti said.
‘We spoke to him, but his reply was short and simple: “If you want me to play for you, you would have to buy this club”.’
Scholes ended up staying at Manchester United for another decade, ending up with over 700 appearances for the Red Devils.
The 50-year-old is one of the most decorated footballers in history with 11 Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues and five domestic cups.
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