Paul Scholes: Oldham manager role 'right job at wrong time'
- Published
Paul Scholes has rejected the chance to become Oldham Athletic manager, but believes the job will be his one day.
The Latics are without a boss after Lee Johnson joined Barnsley in February.
Oldham chairman Simon Corney believes the ex-Manchester United and England midfielder, 40, will manage the club in future and Scholes is open to the idea.
"One day I believe I'll manage Oldham, who are very close to my heart," he wrote in "This was the right job at the wrong time."
Scholes, whose father also supports Oldham, added: "They are a really good family club who mean a great deal to a lot of people - myself included. I just did not feel this was the right time.
"When I go into management, I want to do so with 100% commitment. At the moment I have a lot of responsibilities and things going on in my life that I cannot simply drop immediately.
"Most importantly I have a young family who need their dad around, having been away a lot during my playing career.
"There was no way, for example, I would ever have tried to combine a coaching job with my work on television."
Scholes assisted former team-mate Ryan Giggs during the latter's short spell as Manchester United's caretaker manager last season, having previously worked with the club's under-19 team.
He also took temporary charge of non-league Salford City, the club he part-owns, alongside Phil Neville earlier this year after manager Phil Power's departure.
Lifelong Oldham fan Scholes watched Oldham beat Port Vale away on Tuesday, a win that lifted them to 11th in League One and to within three points of a play-off place.
Scholes added: "Even as I watched them in the Port Vale game on Tuesday, having made my decision not to take the job, there was part of me that wished I was in the dugout.
"Managing a club like Oldham has to be an all-absorbing, seven-days-a-week commitment. That is how Lee made such a success of it. One day I will be ready to do that."
- Published5 March 2015
- Published6 March 2015
- Published9 March 2015
- Published7 June 2019