One of Manchester United's greatest midfielders Paul Scholes has decided to hang up his boots after 17 years at the club after spending his entire professional career at Old Trafford. His 15 minute cameo in the harrowing Champions League Final defeat to Barcelona would sadly be his last appearance for United. Scholes, hailed by Zinedine Zidane “as the best midfielder of his generation” would certainly have loved to say goodbye to the beautiful game with a win, but it wasn’t to be. Instead, he did get the glorious backdrop of thousands of screaming fans at Wembley Stadium and did feature on the biggest stage in club football.

Scholes began training with Manchester United at the tender age of 14 and joined them as a trainee at the age of 17. Despite not being a member of the legendary FA Youth Cup winning team of 1992 that included future stalwarts such as David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, and Nicky Butt, Scholes chalked his own path to success and legendary status. He was a member of the youth team that reached the final in the subsequent year, alongside Phil Neville, losing out to Leeds United. Scholes broke into the senior squad in the 1994-95 campaign that saw him make 17 appearances and score 5 goals in an impressive first season.

Vetaran goalie Edwin Van der Sar finally called time on his glittering career after Manchester United's loss to Barcelona, confirming that he was not going to hold back his retirement for another year. The 40-year old had announced a few months earlier that he would retire from competitive football at the end of the season, and though he could not manage a fitting end to a great career, he insists he has no doubts about moving on to new things.

The Dutchman started his career at home club Foreholte before signing for Ajax, where he enjoyed an enormously successful nine-year stint. He picked up the 1991-92 UEFA Cup, and then won the Champions League three years later with the Dutch side. He was a huge feature in that truimph, leading to the awarding of Best European Goalkeeper of the Year award that season. He could have doubled his Champions League tally the following year, but was denied by Juventus, as they beat Ajax on penalties in the finals of the 1996 edition.

It’s time for spring cleaning at Stamford Bridge and efforts to replace the deadwood will be at their peak in this coming transfer window. This summer could very well replicate the summer of 2003 otherwise known as the Roman Revolution.

With the sacking of Italian Carlo Ancelotti against the will of the Chelsea dressing room, Abramovich’s shortlist this summer also includes a new manager. Top of the list is current Turkey Manager Guus Hiddink who has been close to the Russian billionaire. Hiddink has had a short spell with Chelsea winning the FA Cup in 2008/09 and is a very popular figure amongst the Chelsea players. Hiddink has revealed that he will quit his post with Turkey only if they fail to qualify for Euro 2012 and he might be a tough fish to catch. Turkey face a must win situation when they play Belgium on June 3.

Manchester City center-half Kolo Toure, who had failed a drugs test in March, has been awarded a six-month ban by the FA for testing positive for a specified substance. The defender's punishment however will only be upto September, as the ban begins from March 2, when he was given his provisional suspension.

With the possibility of a two-year suspension in the offing for the Ivorian, the panel showed significant leniency while making the final verdict, citing the circumstances behind his comsumption of the water tablets that contained the drugs, the fact that he pleaded guilty, and the support he got around the football community for the reduction of his ban length.

Venue - Old Trafford. Occasion - nothing less than the most important Premier League game of the season. Time-36 seconds. A red flash leaves behind debris of defenders as it rips through Chelsea's backline to give Manchester United the lead. The red flash in question here is none other than Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez.

Manchester United's rising star has been a breath of fresh air to the Premier League, evoking obvious comparisons with another "smiling assassin" of our time, a certain Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The 22 year old has already won the Premier League and Community Shield in his 1st season at United and could well add a Champions League medal come the end of this week as United head into the final against Barcelona at Wembley with Hernandez as their biggest weapon in attack.

The Premier League drew to a close this weekend with the roller coaster ride of the 2010/11 Season finally coming to its end. There have been numerous stand out performers this term, but it’s hard to look past a certain flying Welshman plying his trade in North London if one wishes to pin point the very best. Gareth Bale has been a poster child for the Premier League this season, enthralling fans and pundits with his speed and skill. A much older yet equally dynamic Welshman in Manchester has set the bar for left wingers in the Premier League era and with Bale hailing from the same country as the legendary Ryan Giggs, comparisons between the two are inevitable.

Can Gareth Bale step into Giggs’s girnormous shoes? Is he better already or does he have a long way to go?

Rather than letting Bale to take on Giggs, let’s first see how he fares against himself.