‘England’s best’ - Paul Scholes pays tribute to ‘wonderful’ Man United icon Sir Bobby Charlton

Paul Scholes has crowned Sir Bobby Robson as the best player England has ever produced and said the football legend ‘epitomised’ everything Manchester United stands for.

The former midfielder said he was devastated to learn of the great man’s passing on Saturday aged 86. In his 2007 autobiography Sir Bobby Charlton: My Manchester United Years, Charlton described Scholes as his favourite United player, branding him the “embodiment of all that I believe is best about football.”

The 1968 European Cup winner presented Scholes with a silver plate for reaching 500 appearances for United in 2006. Speaking to TNT Sports, Scholes unpacked his emotions about Sir Bobby’s passing.

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“[The news] was devastating,” he said. “When you think of Manchester United, around the world he’s probably the first person that comes to mind. Such a nice man. A wonderful man who went through a lot. You think of surviving the Munich air crash and having to deal with losing people.

“Then playing and winning the European Cup and the World Cup, to becoming a director and an ambassador for the club. He epitomised what Manchester United was - he was pure class, whether in victory or defeat, he always treated people the same and acted with dignity and honour. It’s a really sad loss, he meant a lot to all of us growing up.”

Sir Bobby often graced the United facilities after his retirement, becoming a club director in 1984. He would at times offer a thoughtful word in and around the dressing room on matchdays.

On occasion, he would join in training sessions too, and still amazed onlookers years after hanging up his