The midfield all-rounder played for 90 minutes as United strengthened their claims for a third successive Premier League title, writes Stewart Coggin. Having dominated Portsmouth in the first-half, taking a 1-0 lead, United's level dropped after the break, with Sir Alex Ferguson admitting that he thought his side were going to 'throw it away'. Not so. And that was thanks in large part to Scholes doing what Scholes does best. Receiving the ball just beyond the half-way line, he took two quick touches before curling a sumptuous defence splitting pass on to Michael Carrick who buried the ball deep into David James' bottom right corner. Carrick's name was on the scoresheet, but the 'Ginger Genius' - as Scholes is fondly known by some sections of the United support - had provided the ammunition for his United team-mate.

Scholes did not grab any headlines with the pass, and perhaps it is just as well. For the Salford-born number 18 has spent a large proportion of his 18-year career doing his utmost to keep a low profile, remaining under the radar in the age of the celebrity. Never one to conduct himself through the press, Scholes goes about his business quietly off the pitch, often spotted at Oldham Athletic matches - the club he grew up watching - when not tied up with club commitments.

Pondering the question of retirement last summer, Scholes said: "The only thing I will definitely miss is the football, not the general life of a footballer. I can't say that I can't wait to finish, but I am looking forward to finishing being involved with everything that goes with it. I suppose people are just very invasive and are always wanting to know what you're going to do."

Scholes is a family man. Indeed, his wife Claire and the arrival of two children (Scholes now has three children, Arron, Alicia and Aiden) were major factors in his decision to retire from international football in 2004. His desire to continue performing at the peak of his powers at club level was also significant. Many critics felt he retired from England duty too early, although team-mates were aware that he had been considering standing down for up to a year before making the official announcement after Euro 2004, where he had a subdued tournament, albeit in the unfamiliar position of left midfield as England bowed out on penalties to Portugal in the quarter-finals. "Retirement of Scholes adds to England woe" read a headline in The Times newspaper the day after his announcement. Indeed, many felt an England midfield lacking balance in the Euro 2008 qualifiers would have been served well by his canny passing ability and habit of being in the right place at the right time. Not least then coach Steve McClaren who reportedly made four separate attempts to persuade Scholes out of retirement, only to be knocked back on each occasion by the quiet man of English football. Indeed, it is known that current coach Fabio Capello would welcome him back into the fold with open arms, even though he would be approaching his 36th birthday when the 2010 World Cup finals get under way. But the player remains adamant. Not for Scholes the sensationalist headlines that would go hand-in-hand with one last hurrah at a major international tournament.

He is still making an impact against continental opposition, however. Last season Scholes netted the only goal of a tight 1-0 aggregate win over Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals. He went on to appear in the final victory over Chelsea, exorcising the demons of 1999 when he missed the showpiece against Bayern Munich at Camp Nou through suspension.

"I don't have my medals on show," he said in typically understated fashion. "They're just locked away somewhere. I got a medal in 1999, but I don't view myself as a double Champions League winner. You've got to play in the final for it to count."

The 34-year-old has scored 98 goals for Manchester United, possessing that same penchant as Chelsea's Frank Lampard for getting into goalscoring positions from central midfield. Fourteen of those came as he played a major role in United winning the 1995/96 double. Scholes has seen plenty of players come and go since making his United debut in a League Cup tie against Port Vale at Vale Park when he scored twice. But despite his enduring brilliance and all the titles won (eight Premier Leagues) he has never been tempted to test his abilities elsewhere. And according to Ferguson, no one has bothered trying to sign the maestro: "You know why we've had no inquiry? Because they all know he would never leave."