• Premier League

Rooney can't replace Scholes - Fergie

ESPNsoccernet staff
July 19, 2011
Sir Alex Ferguson: "They're too different." © Getty Images
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Sir Alex Ferguson says there is no chance Wayne Rooney can fill the gulf left by Paul Scholes' retirement at Manchester United.

United have enjoyed a successful summer in the transfer market after bringing in David de Gea, Phil Jones and Ashley Young, but they are yet to find a like-for-like replacement for Scholes following his retirement at the end of the season.

Scholes himself has suggested that Rooney - who excelled in a more withdrawn role last season - could eventually become a midfielder, but Ferguson feels their styles are totally different.

"Scholesy is being very generous there," he said. "He's underestimating himself and the value he had to us. Wayne could play centre-midfield, but not the way that Scholesy played it. They're too different.

"The way Wayne would play as opposed to Scholesy is that he would be more dynamic and all over the place, using his energy to run everywhere, challenge and hit those cross-field passes that he's terrific at.

"Scholes was more calculated. He always had that control about him, controlling the speed and pace of a game, which is pretty difficult to do. He was an absolute one-off.

"You can't replace players like that. You hope you can get something approaching it, but you'll never replace Scholes. We're all searching for that. Everybody is searching for the special player who makes the difference to his team."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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