Man Utd star called out for trying to confront Paul Scholes - 'Fell into trap'

The unnamed Manchester United player who attempted to confront Paul Scholes has branded "fragile" by Simon Jordan. Since retiring in 2013, Scholes has forged a reputation as a no-nonsense pundit, particularly when discussing his former team. The Red Devils icon is known for his direct approach, and it appears that his blunt honesty recently ruffled some feathers.

During an appearance on The Overlap Fan Debate, Scholes revealed that a member of Ruben Amorim's squad contacted him directly, upset by something he had said on TV. The footballer even proposed meeting Scholes at the club's Carrington base to speak face-to-face. "I said, 'Of course, no problem,' and gave him my number - but he never followed up," Scholes recalled.

Responding to the incident on talkSPORT, ex-Crystal Palace chief Jordan commented that the situation highlighted the overly sensitive mindset of today's football culture. "We live in a society where people are too fragile and not resilient enough," he said.

"There's something admirable about people who can say, 'Well that criticism was fair and I'm going to approach it in that fashion', rather than being a child about it and saying any criticism is out of bounds."

Danny Murphy echoed those sentiments, adding: "Top Premier League clubs and top players, generally, have built up a wall of resilience over years to get to the top. Most of them are pretty robust, but there are one or two who you think, oh come on, don't be so fragile."

It comes after Scholes asserted that modern players are "too touchy". He said: "What we say [as pundits] shouldn't affect a player. The only people that should affect the players is what the manager thinks, the coaching staff, and their team-mates. Whatever is said on TV should be taken with a pinch of salt.

"I'm not even sure how many players these days watch football and watch what we're saying. There was one United player who obviously took a bit of offence to what I said, but you just deal with it. If he thinks he needs an explanation or a meeting over a tea or coffee, I'd be happy to give it."

Scholes did not reveal which player took exception to his remarks, nor did he clarify what exactly was said to provoke the call. However, Murphy suspects that Scholes may have overstepped the mark in the heat of a live broadcast.

"Sometimes in the moment in our job, especially when you're doing co-commentary, you do find yourself falling into a little trap or getting a bit over the top with your passion or being overly critical because you're frustrated at watching someone, and you wish you could have drawn it back," the former Liverpool midfielder said.

United have faced immense criticism this season as they stumble toward what may become their poorest domestic campaign in more than 50 years. They've already suffered 13 defeats in the Premier League - their highest ever since the competition's inception - and sit just five places above the drop zone.

Nevertheless, they still have a shot at silverware, with the Europa League title within reach. They are set to take on Lyon in the first leg of their quarter-final on Thursday evening, before welcoming the French side to Old Trafford next week for the return leg.