For modest Scholes all roads point to Oldham

Showdown in Shizuoka: Quietly-spoken midfielder keeps his feet firmly on the ground at the prospect of facing the tournament favourites

It is unlikely that Frankie Bunn and Andy Ritchie have previously been mentioned in the same breath as Ronaldo and Rivaldo. Although Ritchie had a spell at Manchester United, and Bunn once scored six goals in a cup-tie, it would be stretching a point beyond elasticity to suggest they had touched the heights of the Brazilian pair.

For Paul Scholes, however, Bunn and Ritchie will always evoke greater admiration than the men who will lead Brazil's attack against England in Shizuoka. He respects Ronaldo and Rivaldo, but he never stood on the terracing at Boundary Park cheering them on.

In the build-up to tomorrow's World Cup quarter-final Scholes was asked if, since he has now mixed it with the very best for several years, whether he still regarded Ritchie and Bunn as his heroes as he had once been quoted.

Scholes, amazed anyone should think he would betray his origins, even though Bunn now works for Manchester City, said: "Andy Ritchie's still my hero, him and Frankie Bunn. You never change that. Why? Their goals. I used to watch Oldham. Andy Ritchie was the best player, he scored the goals."

The next question asked Scholes if he was pleased to see a great player like Ronaldo fit again. "It's good for him. It doesn't make me feel any different," he ventured.

Scholes meant no disrespect. He went on to talk in glowing terms of Brazil and their "great players". But those two replies encapsulated him. Like his midfield sidekick, Nicky Butt, he is an ordinary bloke who just happens to have achieved wealth and fame through hard work, self-discipline, and an intuitive ability to play majestic football. While he and his wife Claire, a childhood sweetheart, live in a big house with all the trimmings the lower Pennines can offer, you suspect he would be just as happy in a Salford semi if it meant he could avoid the celebrity attached to his status.

Like Butt and, to an extent, Beckham, there is a modesty about Scholes which is a tribute to the principles inculcated at Manchester United. Though he had a quiet game, hampered by a foot injury, against Denmark, he was one of England's best players in the group stages but would only admit to "OK" performances. He feels he should be scoring goals – he has not done so for England for more than a year – but observers would argue he has played deeper in the World Cup than usual, curbing his forward runs to stabilise the midfield.

He said: "We've tried to control midfield more. In these games I can't fly upfield every two minutes. I need to stay there with Nicky because the other teams do seem to have a lot of midfielders. That might affect my goalscoring but I've had a couple of chances and it hasn't gone in for me."

Although Bobby Robson, within minutes of this interview concluding, described Scholes on television as "world-class" the player insisted: "You don't prove you are world-class until the later stages of a tournament and this is the first time I've got this far."

It is also, he added, the first time he has been confident of England doing so. "It feels good this time. I never felt in the European Championships we were going to go far. We have more belief than before. A few years ago when we played Brazil I don't think we thought we had much chance against them. This year is different. Obviously, we may be proved wrong but we feel we've a chance."

Sven Goran Eriksson's management is one reason, good results the other. "The manager's great," said Scholes. "He's given us belief we can beat anyone and the players are starting to believe that, especially after beating Argentina.

"He is so calm. If you make a mistake he always says 'forget about it' and gives you encouragement. He's not a ranter and raver."

Scholes has played Brazil twice before, a defeat in Paris under Glenn Hoddle in 1997 and a home draw under Kevin Keegan in 2000. Of tomorrow's opponents he said: "These are the teams you want to play against to prove you are a good player. They are a massive team with a great history and six or seven world-class players who excite you. But they give you a chance and hopefully we have the players to exploit that. We've got to play our way. By doing that we've beaten decent teams and got this far."

With 48 caps Scholes is one of the most experienced players of this England squad. He has also played in two European Cup semi-finals. And yet he added: "You would like to think it won't faze you but you never know. I've played in the European Cup but this is the World Cup."

Just for a moment you could hear the small boy behind the goal, the one who cheered on Andy Ritchie, talking. Having written glowingly of Scholes on the morning of the Greece game, during which he disappeared from view, this observer knows he does occasionally freeze. He can also lose his head, as his sending off against Sweden in 1999 testifies.

On the basis of his performances in Japan to date, Scholes can be expected, however, to remain cool in the broiling heat of the Ecopa Stadium without freezing. This could prove the season Scholes came of age. For England he has added defensive discipline to his natural attacking gifts. Add the quality of his short and long passing, and his goalscoring threat, and he is close to being the complete midfield player. At Old Trafford he stood up to Sir Alex Ferguson after being played out of position. And survived. Having done that, dealing with Brazil should be easy.

THE PLAYERS SCHOLES ADMIRES

FRANKIE BUNN

Luton Town (1980-84) 59 apps, 9 goals; Hull City (1985-87) 95, 23; Oldham (1987-89) 78, 26. Scored a record six goals in Oldham's 7-0 League Cup win over Scarborough in October 1989.

ANDY RITCHIE

Manchester Utd (1977-80) 33 apps, 13 goals; Brighton (1980-82) 89, 23; Leeds (1982-86) 136, 40; Oldham (1987-94) 217, 82; Scarborough (1995-96) 68, 17; Oldham (1996-97) 25, 2.