90min

Paul Scholes Appointed Interim Manager of Salford City

By Jamie Spencer

Man Utd legend Paul Scholes is Salford City's new caretaker boss
Man Utd legend Paul Scholes is Salford City's new caretaker boss / Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images
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Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has been appointed interim head coach of League Two side Salford City, the club the 45-year-old co-owns with five of his former Old Trafford teammates.

It marks Scholes’ latest venture into management, having previously been Salford’s joint caretaker boss with Phil Neville for one game in 2015, and Oldham manager for a month in 2019.

Scholes was briefly Oldham manager in 2019
Scholes was briefly Oldham manager in 2019 / Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images

Despite Salford sitting fifth in League Two as they look to continue their meteoric recent rise up the English football pyramid, the club confirmed the decision to sack boss Graham Alexander and immediately announced that Scholes will be stepping while a new manager is appointed.

The 11-time Premier League champion, who sits third on Manchester United’s list of all-time appearances on 718, will be assisted by ex-United reserve team boss Warren Joyce.

Joyce is currently isolating amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis but will join Scholes soon. The pair both previously worked in the junior ranks at Old Trafford, where Joyce in particular was revered as head coach of the reserve team, initially as a joint manager alongside Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Scholes became a co-owner of Salford in 2014 alongside close friends and former teammates Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Nicky Butt and Phil Neville. The group completed the takeover alongside billionaire Peter Lim, while David Beckham later also bought into the club in 2019.

Scholes co-owns Salford City with his 'Class of '92' friends
Scholes co-owns Salford City with his 'Class of '92' friends / Dave J Hogan/Getty Images

Salford were in the Northern Premier League Division One, the eighth tier of English football at the time of the takeover. But multiple promotions soon followed the investment, up through the NPL Premier Division (7), National League North (6) and National League (5), the highest level of non-league football in England, one rung below the EFL.

Having become a full-time professional club in 2017, Salford secured their place in League Two with a National League playoff final over Eastleigh at Wembley in 2019. Their first season as an EFL club resulted in an 11th place finish and an appearance in the EFL Trophy final.

At the time of the ‘Class of ‘92’ takeover, it was suggested that Salford had ambitions to reach the Championship within 15 years by 2029.

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