Fabio Capello has revealed that Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes initially told his assistant Franco Baldini that he was willing to play at the World Cup finals, before changing his mind the next day.
The under fire England manager made overtures to coax the evergreen playmaker out of his self-imposed international exile prior to naming his 23-man squad for the World Cup finals; an invitation the 35-year-old has since admitted he regretted declining.
Ahead of this evening’s European Championship qualifier against Bulgaria, Capello has suggested Scholes actually agreed to play for his country but having slept on the idea of returning to the fold for the first time since 2004, he changed his mind. The Italian indicated Scholes changed his mind because he had concerns about his age and his ability to sustain the rigours of international football.
When asked about his endeavours to select Paul Scholes, Capello told ITV: “It is up to him.
“Franco spoke with him and he decided.
“In the evening he said yes, and in the morning he said no.
“Because he preferred to stay at home.”
"He said he is too old to play more games and more competitions. He prefers to be ok for Manchester United."