UTD Unscripted: Facing the midfield masters
After going out on loan to Preston and NEC Nijmegen, which I’d really enjoyed, the manager came to me and said that the club had accepted a bid from Derby County and he asked me what I wanted to do. We’d previously spoken about a new contract but, in reality, if they were accepting an offer for me then that said enough. I’d spent most of my growing-up years at United, been at the club for over a decade and loved being a part of it, but it was over, so it was probably the most upsetting easy decision I’ve ever had. I agreed to the move, had a few tears in the car on the way home to get it out of my system and woke up the next day ready for the next step in my career. If you don’t demonstrate resilience, move on quickly and adapt, then your career – and probably more importantly your game – won’t progress.
That was how I found myself lining up against United the following season. Derby had been promoted in 2006/07, which was a great achievement, but in 2007/08 there was so much going on off the pitch that it didn’t feel great around the club. We didn’t fare well in the Premier League and, by the time United arrived at Pride Park towards the end of the season, we could only realistically hope to take something other than points from the game.
Personally, it was very special. You always want to test yourself against the big clubs but, having spent so much time there, it made it so special for me to be lining up against Scholesy and Anderson. I really enjoyed the game as it unfolded. United won 1-0 with Ronaldo scoring quite late on, and that was quite a good result for Derby that season, especially with United on course to win the Premier League and Champions League.
That was the first time I played against Scholesy in the Premier League and it struck me just how sharp he was at all times. He somehow always found space. One thing I learned was that he was always watching his opponent’s head, in terms of watching where they were swivelling their head. If they look away from him, he’ll pull into another area or stop moving, so that they don’t know where he is and he can create space. You think he’s with you, but then you turn your head to look at the ball for a fraction of a second, you go to turn back…
Where’s he gone?
He’s five yards away. Next thing, he’s received the ball.
He was just so clever with things like that. When I speak to coaches now, they refer to the ‘dark arts’ of football: these little nuggets of skill, perception or experience in which you just create an edge. Scholesy was the master of them. He knew how to find space, he was so sharp and quick thinking. His vision was exceptional, as was his use of the ball. He was as comfortable and destructive with a 50-yard pass out wide to Giggsy as with a five-yard pass infield to Carrick. You could never, ever switch off because he’d exploit you. He scored so many goals by just ghosting into the box.
