The football world is holding its breath as news from King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where Manchester United and England legend Paul Scholes (50) is fighting for his life.
Just 30 minutes ago, Paul Scholes’ family released a heartbreaking statement, confirming that the lung transplant he had undergone had failed.
“It is with a broken heart that we announce that Paul has not survived the most critical post-operative period. The lung transplant, due to complications from his worsening chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), has failed. The transplanted lung has completely stopped functioning, and Paul is now in a deep coma, on full life support. The prognosis is extremely poor.”
The Hard-Fighting Silent War
Few people know that, in recent years, Paul Scholes has been struggling with a progressive lung disease that he has tried to keep secret so as not to affect his work as a commentator and as a co-owner of Salford City. Sources close to him said that the “Blonde Prince”‘s condition has taken a turn for the worse in the past six months, forcing him to temporarily stop public activities.
“Paul has always been a private and tough person,” a close friend, who did not want to be named, shared. “He wanted to deal with this himself. Flying to Riyadh for surgery was a last-ditch effort, a slim chance of regaining normality. It’s heartbreaking that it has ended like this.”
Wave of Prayers From the Football Community
As soon as the news spread, shares and prayers flooded social media and media channels.
David Beckham, a close teammate of the “Class of 92,” posted an old photo of the two on Instagram with the simple caption: “Please keep fighting, Scholesy. We all love you.”
Gary Neville couldn’t hold back his emotions on television: “Paul is the essence of football. A quiet man with an iron will. He doesn’t deserve this. We are all waiting for a miracle.”
Manchester United released an official statement: “Manchester United expresses its endless support for Paul Scholes and his family. We pray for one of our greatest to get through this dark time. He embodies the spirit of United.”
The whole world is now looking to Riyadh, hoping for a glimmer of light that can bring the “Witch of Salford” back from the brink of danger. The Scholes family have asked the media and fans to respect their privacy during these difficult times.
