Paul Scholes: Top 5 Premier League goals ranked | OneFootball

Paul Scholes is one of the best players in Premier League history, but what are his best goals in the competition?

The Manchester United legend is one of the best goalscoring midfielders in recent memory with a goals catalogue to match that of anyone. In his near-20-year career at United, he played 499 Premier League games and scored 107 goals (via Premier League), putting him in the much-fabled “100 club.”

He scored long-range screamers, tap-ins and everything in between. For a relatively small player, he was also a brilliant header of the ball. Combine this with his elite passing and control of the game and it made him a key part of all of Sir Alex Ferguson’s success in the Premier League era.

Let’s look back at the five best Premier League goals of Paul Scholes.

5. Manchester United vs West Ham United – 1st April 2000

1 Apr 2000: Paul Scholes of Manchester United celebrates his goal against West Ham United with team mates Roy Keane and Jaap Stam during the FA Carling Premiership match at Old Trafford in Manchester, England. Manchester United won 7-1. Mandatory Credit: Michael Steele /Allsport

It might have been April Fool’s Day but there were no jokes at Old Trafford as United ran riot, defeating West Ham 7-1 as they closed in on a second consecutive title and sixth in the eight seasons of the Premier League. They even had the decency to allow the Irons to take the lead, with Paulo Wanchope scoring again at Old Trafford.

Scholes grabbed the equaliser and eventually scored his one and only hat trick for United, but it was his second goal that caught the eye. A mistake from future United teammate Rio Ferdinand saw Andy Cole slip the ball into David Beckham on the right-hand side. The ball was then slid into the path of fellow “Class of 92” graduate Scholes, who cheekily backheeled the ball across the keeper and into the net.

It was a goal that perfectly displayed his genius ability and quick thinking, which would make up for a lack of pace throughout his career.

4. Manchester United vs Chelsea – 23rd September 2000

23 Sep 2000: Paul Scholes of Manchester United rises above Jody Morris of Chelsea during the FA Carling Premiership match at Old Trafford, in Manchester, England. The match ended in a 3-3 draw. Mandatory Credit: Ben Radford /Allsport

The second of four goals from the year 2000, as the Oldham native started the new millennium with a bang. This goal came in an exhilirating 3-3 draw with Chelsea at Old Trafford, in what was Claudio Ranieri’s first league game in charge of the Blues.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink had opened the scoring with a thunderbolt after eight minutes but the lead lasted just six minutes as Scholes cracked in a stunning half-volley past Carlo Cudicini from outside the box after Denis Irwin’s cross had been cleared into his path.

It marked the first of three straight seasons that the midfielder would score against Ranieri’s men.

3. Bradford vs Manchester United – 25th March 2000

25 Mar 2000: Paul Scholes of Manchester United volleys home the third goal during the FA Carling Premiership match against Bradford City at Valley Parade in Bradford, England. Manchester United won the match 4-0. Mandatory Credit: Michael Steele/Allsport

A goal straight from the training ground but one that you see so rarely work in a match. Scholes teamed up again with David Beckham to score one of the best goals of the 1999/2000 Premier League season, if not the competition’s history.

Already two up against a promoted side battling relegation, United flexed their considerable muscles and served up a screamer; a corner from Becks being placed into Scholes territory once again. From here, a stunning volley was dispatched into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal.

It was party time at Valley Parade for both the team and the travelling fans behind the goal.

2. Middlesbrough vs Manchester United – 10th April 2000

11 Nov 2000: Paul Scholes of Manchester United in action during the FA Carling Premiership match against Middlesbrough at Old Trafford in Manchester, England. Manchester United won the match 2 - 1. Mandatory Credit: Clive Mason /Allsport

Scholes’ unbelievable goalscoring run, which included scoring great goals, continued in another classic encounter at the Riverside, with United eventually running out 4-3 winners.

The score was only 2-1 when Gary Neville played the ball across to Scholes, who cannoned in a shot that flew past goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer. On the replay, you could see that the ball was veering outside the post before coming back in, marking it down as a truly incredible strike.

It’s remarkable that of his best five Premier League goals, four came in 2000, with three in the spring of the 1999/2000 season.

1. Aston Villa vs Manchester United – 23rd December 2007

BIRMINGHAM, UNITED KINGDOM - DECEMBER 23: Manchester United's Paul Scholes scores his goal during the Barclays Premiership match between Aston Villa and Manchester United at Villa Park on December 23, 2006 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Scholes scored so many great goals that it’s incredibly difficult to pinpoint one as the very best he scored in his Premier League career, but this is surely it.

With United having just gone 1-0 up, they were looking to hammer home their advantage and maintain their position at the top of the table for Christmas, and that’s exactly what their midfield magician did.

A corner from Ryan Giggs was headed clear by Neil McCann, high into the air about 30 yards from the goal. Under normal circumstances, this would have been a perfect defensive play, but Paul Scholes was not a normal striker of the ball.

He smashed a volley back at goal, beating Villa keeper Gabor Kiraly all ends up to the delight of the United fans behind the goal. The strike was made look even better as it smashed the bar upon entering the net. Truly spectacular.