Fergie - I Persuaded Scholes

Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed he talked veteran midfielder Paul Scholes into signing a new one-year deal last month.

Scholes penned the new contract extension after initially expressing doubts over whether to continue with his Old Trafford career.

After an uncharacteristically poor start to the campaign, Scholes has improved his form since Christmas and recent performances have seen the midfielder scoring crucial goals as United look to win an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League crown.

"I did speak to him," Ferguson told Inside United. "He'd intimated that he may retire at the end of the season.

"I said, 'I'll decide when you retire.....look, Paul, you can play there's no question of that. Your ability's there, there's no deterioration in your actual play."

Late strikes against Wolves and Manchester City have helped put United within a point of leaders Chelsea and Ferguson is pleased the 35-year-old changed his mind.

"When you get to his age, and the same goes for Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville, there's a deterioration in the physical aspect of it. That's natural. We all face that.

"But in terms of his ability, there's no deterioration whatsoever.

"In fact, Paul's every bit as good, if not even better, because the experience he's added to the ability he's got means he's a big asset to us - as he was against City. He helped to control the match."

Ferguson believes United are benefiting from Scholes' decision to focus his energy purely on club matters.

Scholes quit the England scene following Euro 2004 even though he had yet to reach his 30th birthday.

England boss Fabio Capello never made any attempt to change the midfielder's mind, knowing it was futile.

"I don't think Paul's the type the feel bitter about that or feel he'd lost something in his life," said Ferguson.

"He made his decision based on his family and I think it helped him for the initial couple of years after he retired from the international scene."