Paul Scholes: Video shows Man Utd icon is 'disrespected' amongst Gerrard/Lampard debate

Paul Scholes had to be seen to be believed.

There are certain players in football where their statistics simply do a terrible job at articulating just how incredible they really were.

For example, it might be tempting to pooh-pooh all the hype around Scholes’ passing, creativity and playmaking when you discover that he ‘only’ boasts 55 assists in the Premier League.

Throw in the fact that he only ever reached double figures for goals in the league during two seasons and statisticians might be tempted to opine that Scholes wasn’t all he’s cracked up to be.

However, you know that’s not true and I know that’s not true, because it’s not for no reason that every football legend and their dog regularly tout Scholes as an icon of the modern game.

You know you’re doing something right when Zinedine Zidane, Xavi and just about everyone ever associated with Manchester United is saying that you were a player of generational magnificence.

Even if it doesn’t show up in the data, the simple fact of the matter is that Scholes had a certain je ne sais quoi in the way that he played the beautiful game that could never show up in the numbers.

And that’s an incalculable factor that is so often forgotten when Scholes is inevitably compared to Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard in what endures as one of football’s biggest debates.

Three Premier League legends each flying the flag for United, Liverpool and Chelsea respectively makes for a fascinating back and forth in which Scholes can so often be given the short shrift.

Or at least, that certainly tends to be the case when attempts to settle the debate revolve around statistics with Lampard and Gerrard clearly looking better on a spreadsheet.

However, once you rewind and focus on that pure