Scholes quits as Oldham manager after 31 days in charge

A former Manchester United midfielder, Paul Scholes, has resigned as Oldham Athletic manager “with great regret” after only 31 days in charge, he said on Thursday.

Scholes, a lifelong Oldham fan, won one of his seven games as manager of the English League Two (fourth-tier) club who are 14th in the standings.

“It unfortunately became clear that I would not be able to operate as I intended and was led to believe prior to taking on the role,” Scholes, 44, said in a statement.

“I hoped to at the very least, see out my initial term of 18 months as the manager of a club I’ve supported all my life. The fans, players, my friends and family all knew how proud and excited I was to take this role.

“I wish the fans, the players and the staff – who have been tremendous – all the best for the rest of the season and will continue to watch and support the club as a fan.”

Scholes, who spent his entire playing career at United and played 66 times for England, won 11 Premier League titles, three FA Cups and two Champions League crowns before retiring in 2013.

Oldham confirmed Scholes’s departure.

“We would like to place on record our thanks to Paul for his efforts during his spell in charge of the club and would like to wish him well for the future,” the club said in a statement.

Scholes, who has worked as a television pundit in recent years, was the latest from England’s so-called “Golden Generation of players to move into management, following Frank Lampard at Derby County and Steven Gerrard at Rangers.

He had worked alongside Ryan Giggs when his former team mate and current Wales manager took caretaker charge of Manchester United for four matches following David Moyes’s sacking in 2014.

Scholes took over from the sacked Frankie Bunn at Oldham after being cleared by the English Football League which decided that his 10 percent stake in fifth-tier Salford City would not represent a conflict of interest. (Reuters/NAN)