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Paul Scholes has officially confirmed that he is ending his football career.
The 36-year-old veteran helped the Manchester team win their 19th English championship title and reach the Champions League final, where they lost to Barcelona.
Coach Sir Alex Ferguson urged the experienced Englishman to play another season, but he decided to hang up his boots and start working as part of the team's coaching staff.
"We will definitely miss this extraordinary player," said Ferguson. "Paul has always been dedicated to the club, so I am happy that he will work as a coach. Scholes is a source of inspiration for the younger players, and I hope he will succeed in his new job."
The player himself, who has represented Manchester United his entire life, added: "The decision was not easy to make, but I feel that the time has come to retire. Football has always been the only thing I wanted to do, so it is an honor for me to end such a long career with the Manchester United team."
Throughout his career, Scholes won the English championship ten times, the Champions League twice, and also wore the England national team jersey 66 times.
Highlights of Scholes' career:
