Scholes says he wasnt a bad tackler, just a fan of revenge

In addition to his reputation as one of the finest midfielders of his time, Paul Scholes was also known for his tackles that could make shinbones weep and how he amassed yellow cards the way some people collect stamps.

Now that he's retired from the game, Scholes sheds some light on his tackling and clears up the misconception that he was just a bit sloppy. From Football365:

[T]he midfielder, who retired this summer, told BBC Radio Five Live: "Of course I can tackle. There's plenty of evidence of being able to tackle.

"I was just getting people back. If someone got me early in the game it was always in the back of my mind that I needed to get them back.

"I didn't always do it on purpose, some of it was just bad timing, I suppose.

"But I think throughout my career the record wasn't that bad, there were not that many yellow cards. Well, I suppose a few yellow cards, but not many sendings-off. But I think towards the end every time I made one tackle I got booked, because of my reputation I suppose."

...and also because many of them were bad tackles. There were 22 yellow cards in 72 appearances (and two reds) over his last two seasons with Man United, to be exact -- enough to put him near the top of the player discipline table despite his decreasing playing time.

So there you have it. Paul Scholes was not a clumsy tackler, he was just a man who believed in harsh, brutal payback. Like Gandhi!

When you can make Nigel De Jong wince out of vicarious pain, you know you're hardcore.

Photos: Getty