‘Everything I do, I do it for him’: Paul Scholes quits TV to look after non-verbal autistic son
The England and Manchester United legend hopes sharing the difficulties with as well as the joyful moments with his 20-year-old son can help other families in a similar situation.
Paul Scholes has revealed he stopped doing commentary work to prioritise looking after his disabled son.
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The Manchester United and England legend has opened up about the challenges of being a dad to 20-year-old Aiden, who has severe autism.
Scholes hopes sharing the difficulties with as well as the joyful moments with Aiden, who he co-parents with his ex-wife Claire Froggatt, can help other families in a similar situation.
“Everything I’m going to do now just works around him,” Scholes said on the Stick to Football podcast.
He added: “Last season, on Thursday nights I’d do the Europa League for Man United, that’s the night I’d usually have him, so he was getting all agitated, biting and scratching. He knows the pattern’s not there straight away.
“And I did that for years really, always thinking I’ve got to stop this at some point, so I had the chance to do the podcast and I thought that would suit me more – well, not me, Aiden.”
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Scholes initially kept Aiden’s diagnosis secret during his playing days, and revealed he was dropped by Sir Alex Ferguson while trying to handle the situation privately.
“I never got a break from it, even when playing,” said Scholes.
“It was very hard in those days.
“I don’t think they diagnosed it until he was two-and-a-half years old. But you knew early something was wrong, but then you get the diagnosis, and I’d never heard of it.
“I remember the first time after we were playing Derby away and I just didn’t want to be there. I remember the manager dropped me the week after actually, and I hadn’t told anyone. I ended up telling them a few weeks later, I think, as it was quite hard.
“Even now, I don’t want sympathy or anything. I just thought, even if I did speak to someone about it, it’s not going to help Aiden. "
"The big concern now is, because you’re getting a bit older, what happens when you’re not here? That’s the thing that’s now on my mind all the time."
Scholes is now involved in his own podcast with Nicky Butt and comedian Paddy McGuinness.
He has previously taken to Instagram to talk about Aiden, and has received positive feedback from parents who share similar experiences with their own autistic children.
Autism spectrum disorder refers to a range of conditions that impact how a person communicates and interacts with others, and how they behave and communicate.
It is a condition that someone is born with, with an estimated one in 100 people in the UK thought to be autistic.
Paul Scholes's career statistics
All games for Manchester United
1994-95: Appearances 26, Goals 5
1995-96: Appearances 31, Goals 14
1996-97: Appearances 36, Goals 3
1997-98: Appearances 42, Goals 10
1998-99: Appearances 51, Goals 11
1999-2000: Appearances 45, Goals 12
2000-01: Appearances 45, Goals 12
2001-02: Appearances 51, Goals 9
2002-03: Appearances 52, Goals 20
2003-04: Appearances 40, Goals 14
2004-05: Appearances 49, Goals 12
2005-06: Appearances 27, Goals 3
2006-07: Appearances 45, Goals 7
2007-08: Appearances 34, Goals 2
2008-09: Appearances 35, Goals 3
2009-10: Appearances 38, Goals 7
2010-11: Appearances 33, Goals 1
2011-12: Appearances 21, Goals 4
2012-13: Appearances 16, Goals 1