Man Utd: Paul Scholes took contender for football’s perfect penalty vs Arsenal in 2003 | OneFootball

Very few footballers have been capable of striking a ball as cleanly as Paul Scholes.

When the Manchester United legend connected with the ball, it stayed hit.

Scholes scored many unbelievable goals during his illustrious career thanks to his ability to strike the ball with remarkable power and accuracy.

His stunning volleys against Aston Villa and Bradford City, and his long-range screamers against Middlesbrough and Barcelona immediately spring to mind when you think of Scholes’s goalscoring capabilities.

Of course, scoring goals was only one part of Scholes’s overall game. Best remembered for his ability to dictate the tempo of matches, the retired midfielder is widely regarded as one of the best English footballers of all time and deservedly so.

Scholes could also take a mean penalty. In fact, his spot-kick against Arsenal in the 2003 Community Shield is one of the most technically perfect penalties you’re ever likely to see.

Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann tried his best to psych out Scholes by dancing around on his goal-line, but it wasn’t enough to put off Man Utd’s legendary No. 18.

Scholes took a short run-up before blasting the ball right into the top corner of the net.

Video: Paul Scholes's perfect penalty

Lehmann never stood a chance. No goalkeeper in the world was saving that penalty.

Scholes calmly kicked the ball into his hands before giving Lehmann a wry smile and a wink.

Ice cold.

But it's another penalty vs Arsenal that Scholes is remembered for...

Because this was the Community Shield, Scholes’s top-bins penalty is hardly spoken about these days.

And sadly for the Ginger Prince, it’s another spot-kick that he took at the Millennium Stadium against Arsenal that will always be remembered.

Man Utd played Arsenal in the 2005 FA Cup final and Scholes saw his penalty saved by Lehmann that afternoon.

The world-class midfielder was the only player of the 10 to miss during the shootout, which meant Arsenal lifted the famous trophy in Cardiff.

Despite that, Scholes still retired in 2013 as one of the most decorated footballers in history.

As well as three FA Cups, Scholes also won two Champions Leagues, two League Cups, the FIFA Club World Cup and, of course, a remarkable 11 Premier League titles.