![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/scholes-2f1b.png\")
\n\t\tEx-Manchester United and England midfielder Paul Scholes (Picture: YouTube)<\/p>\n
\t\t
\n\t\tEx-Manchester United and England midfielder Paul Scholes (Picture: YouTube)<\/p>\n
Paul Scholes<\/a> says asking former Manchester United<\/a> manager Sir Alex Ferguson<\/a> for a pay rise after a lucrative offer from another club is his \u2018biggest regret in football\u2019.<\/p>\n Scholes attracted interest from Serie A giants Inter Milan<\/a> after helping United win the treble in 1999-2000.<\/p>\n According to the ex-England midfielder, Inter offered him a deal worth \u00a34m-a-year after tax \u2013 which was \u2018more than double\u2019 his current salary at Old Trafford<\/a>. <\/p>\n Scholes rejected the approach, which was made through Ryan Giggs<\/a>\u2019 agent Harry Swales, but decided to go to Fergie soon after and ask for a pay rise.<\/p>\n Ferguson was typically forthright during what Scholes hoped would be a contract negotiation and immediately dismissed the player\u2019s request.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tGet personalised updates on Manchester United every day\t\t\t<\/p>\n Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro\u2019s Football Newsletter. <\/p>\n Sign up to our newsletter<\/a> and then select your team in the link so we can send you football news tailored to you. <\/p>\n \u2018I was 25 and Inter Milan wanted to give me \u00a34million a year, tax-free. Back then, that was massive,\u2019 Scholes said on The Overlap<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2018It was probably more than double what I was on at United. I remember seeing it on the back of the paper: \u00a330million to Inter Milan or something.<\/p>\n \t\t \u2018But I never heard anything about it again. It just vanished. I said no to Harry [Swales].<\/p>\n \u2018I actually still put up the courage [to ask Fergie for a pay rise], I thought, I\u2019m still going to go to him.<\/p>\n \u2018I think I said something like, I think I deserve more money, or I want to be on more money.<\/p>\n \u2018What am I doing? I\u2019m just looking at him and he pulled out that little black book he always had\u2026 You remember the little black book he has?<\/p>\n \t\t \u2018So, he\u2019s flicking through the pages for like five minutes and then he goes, \u201cNo, I think you\u2019re all right. I think you\u2019re level with everyone. It\u2019s fine.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018That was it. \u201cI think what you\u2019re on is good, yeah\u201d. All right, thanks. See you later.\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018That is the worst. That\u2019s 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.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n Fellow Manchester United legend Gary Neville<\/a> defended Scholes\u2019 request, especially as another club had approached him with more money.<\/p>\n \t\t \u2018It\u2019s not mad really,\u2019 said Neville, who is part of the ownership group at League Two side Salford.<\/p>\n \u2018If you think about the level you were playing at, you\u2019d just won the treble, you\u2019re one of the best midfielders in Europe and you\u2019re asking for money that other clubs were offering you.<\/p>\n \u2018I know how hard that would have been for you but it\u2019s not a mad thing to do.\u2019<\/p>\n But Scholes added: \u2018It is mad though because I was at Manchester United, I was at the club of my dreams.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t Explaining his decision to snub Inter Milan in another interview, Scholes said: \u2018If the manager said to me that he didn\u2019t want me I would definitely have gone.<\/p>\n \u2018If 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.<\/p>\n \u2018I was already at the biggest club in the world anyway.\u2019<\/p>\n Ex-Inter president Massimo Moratti, meanwhile, later opened up on his and the club\u2019s interest in Scholes, which was blocked by Fergie.<\/p>\n \u2018We tried really hard to sign Paul Scholes, we even gave Manchester United a blank cheque,\u2019 Moratti said.<\/p>\n \u2018We spoke to him, but his reply was short and simple: \u201cIf you want me to play for you, you would have to buy this club\u201d.\u2019<\/p>\n Scholes ended up staying at Manchester United for another decade, ending up with over 700 appearances for the Red Devils.<\/p>\n The 50-year-old is one of the most decorated footballers in history with 11 Premier League<\/a> titles, two Champions Leagues and five domestic cups.<\/p>\n For more stories like this,\u00a0check our sport page<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"Manchester](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/GettyImages-72491033.jpg\")
\n\t\tScholes asked Sir Alex Ferguson for a pay rise (Picture: Getty)<\/p>\n![\"Manchester](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/GettyImages-114500027.jpg\")
\n\t\tScholes received the offer through Ryan Giggs\u2019 agent (Picture: Getty)<\/p>\n![\"UEFA](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/GettyImages-1805472903.jpg\")
\n\t\tInter Milan were keen to sign Scholes (Picture: Getty)<\/p>\n![\"Manchester](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/GettyImages-2210880086.jpg\")
\n\t\tScholes still regrets going to Fergie for more money (Picture: Getty)<\/p>\n
\nFacebook<\/a>,\u00a0<\/strong>Twitter<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n
\nMORE: Liverpool star tipped for move to Real Madrid in January transfer window<\/a><\/p>\n
\nMORE: Ruben Amorim responds to Sean Dyche claiming he\u2019d win more games as Man Utd boss<\/a><\/p>\n
\nMORE: Manchester United legend Paul Scholes quits TV punditry work to care for his non-verbal autistic son<\/a><\/p>\n