United Veteran Scholes Retires

Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has retired from playing professional football at the age of 36, but will join the club's coaching staff. Scholes, who has spent his entire career at Old Trafford, becomes the latest of Fergie's Fledglings to call it a day after Gary Neville hung up his boots in February.

The England midfielder formed the core of one of United's greatest ever teams along with Neville, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Nicky Butt and Phil Neville, which culminated in winning the Treble in 1999, though Scholes missed the final through suspension. Fergie's Fledglings broke up in the subsequent years but Giggs, Scholes and the elder Neville continued to star as Ferguson built a new team. In 2008, nine years after missing out on a glorious night in Barcelona, Scholes started as United lifted the European Cup again, beating Chelsea on penalties in Moscow.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has frequently repeated this season that he wanted Scholes to continue for another year but, despite impressing at the start of the season, the Salford-born midfielder's powers had seemingly been waning in the latter part of the season. Scholes, who will carry away a reputation for genius on the pitch and for humility off it, having shunned the celebrity spotlight his entire career, insisted deciding to quit was not an easy decision. "I am not a man of many words but I can honestly say that playing football is all I have ever wanted to do and to have had such a long and successful career at Manchester United has been a real honour. "This was not a decision that I have taken lightly but I feel now is the right time for me to stop playing. To have been part of the team that helped the club reach that 19th title is a great privilege." Ferguson paid tribute to the midfielder, who has wowed fans since netting two goals on his debut against Port Vale in 1994, and revealed that Scholes will be joining the club's coaching staff.

"What more can I say about Paul Scholes that I haven't said before?" Ferguson said. "We are going to miss a truly unbelievable player. "Paul has always been fully committed to this club and I am delighted he will be joining the coaching staff from next season. Paul has always been inspirational to players of all ages and we know that will continue in his new role." His final game for United was Saturday's Champions League final defeat to Barcelona, though fans will be able to show their final appreciation at a testimonial match in August.

United team-mate Rio Ferdinand led the tributes that flooded Twitter in the aftermath of the announcement. Ferdinand said: "Paul Scholes retires from football....the BEST player of his generation, loved every minute of playing football with him. #legend. "Paul Scholes aka Sat Nav went from a scoring midfielder to a dictator of the game (changed his game while still at top of the game) #genius."

Owen Keen to Extend United Stay

Michael Owen has made a plea to the Manchester United board for an extended stay at Old Trafford, but he may find himself surplus to requirements as chief executive David Gill plans a "busier summer than usual". Owen is out of contract in the summer, having started just 15 of his 48 United appearances.

However, he did find himself on the bench for the Champions League final, surprisingly preferred to the Premier League's joint top goalscorer Dimitar Berbatov. The absence of Berbatov in the final has sparked widespread speculation that the Bulgarian will leave during the close season, with Newcastle favourites as Alan Pardew prepares a reported £7.5 million bid. At 31 years of age Owen's career is in its twilight phase, and he has previously admitted that Mexican starlet Javier Hernandez is a better version of himself. That will not stop the England international, however, attempting to secure a new deal at the club. "I have loved every minute," said Owen, who joined in Monday's Premier League trophy parade. "We have great players, great staff, a great manager and great fans.

Hopefully it can continue." The gulf between Barcelona and United at Wembley was such that United are now expected to make significant reinforcements in an attempt to reach the standard set by the Catalans. David De Gea is tipped to join the club for around £16 million, while the likes of Luka Modric,Wesley Sneijder and Ashley Young are all linked to Old Trafford. Chief executive Gill will be charged with the task of delivering the players earmarked by Ferguson, and he commented: "It will be a busier than usual summer this year. I will be going away at some point in June and be back for the start of our tour but I will be on with player stuff for the next few weeks I am sure."

Papers: Young In, One Out?

Sir Alex Ferguson is ready to pave the way forDimitar Berbatov’s departure from Manchester United by completing a £15million move for Aston Villa’s Ashley Young this week. Berbatov’s Old Trafford future now appears increasingly bleak following his omission from the 18-man squad named for the Champions League final defeat against Barcelona on Saturday, but Ferguson had already resolved to listen to offers for the 30-year-old before opting to name Michael Owen as a substitute ahead of the Bulgarian forward. With Berbatov’s future in doubt, Ferguson will also hold talks this week with Owen and Paul Scholes, both now out of contract, in order to resolve their situation at the club.

Having failed to tempt England forward Young from Aston Villa in January, Ferguson now expects to sign the 25 year-old this week after seeing off Liverpool’s attempts to lure the winger to Anfield. Monday's newspapers also carry more reaction to Saturday's Champions League final. For example, Shaun Custis writes in The Sun, "As long as Man of the Match [Lionel] Messi is wearing the Barca shirt, the best United can ever hope for is to be Europe's bridesmaids... Fergie will be in his 80s when Messi hangs up his boots and that means a hell of a lot of frustration lies ahead." The Sun also quotes Sir Alex's son Darren Ferguson after his Peterborough side won promotion to the Championship by beating Huddersfield at Old Trafford. "This is so special for me and I'm pleased I did it because of dad's result against Barcelona," said Ferguson junior.

Papers: Ronaldo Return?

Alex Ferguson has opened the door for Cristiano Ronaldo to make a sensational Old Trafford return. Fergie has confided in close friend and Italian World Cup-winning boss Marcello Lippi that Ronaldo would be welcome back at Manchester United. Ronaldo forced through an £80million transfer from United to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009. But Lippi said: "Sir Alex told me he would take Ronaldo back tomorrow. We both think he is an extraordinary striker who can start on either wing, or as the sole striker and perform brilliantly. But the truly remarkable thing about Cristiano is that he ALWAYS scores."

Ronaldo has enjoyed a great season breaking the all-time La Liga record with 40 goals. He hit 51 in all, a Real record. But his relationship with manager Jose Mourinho has been strained and he admits he misses Ferguson and life at Old Trafford. However, several newspapers carry quotes from Barcelona's stars saying United are a better team without Ronaldo. David Villa states: "Ronaldo's departure has liberated them. Many great players come and go and that has allowed them to remain at the top for so long." The Telegraph report Dani Alves as insisting: "This Manchester United team is much more unpredictable without Ronaldo. They have formed a more balanced group and they are stronger than they were two years ago."

Official Releases Pictorial Evidence

This is a picture of the money that a Caribbean football official says he was offered following a presentation by FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed bin Hammam. The money, as the picture clearly shows, was delivered in a brown envelope with the name of the Bahamas FA on it. Inside the envelope was 40,000 US dollars in crisp, new 100-dollar bills - four packs each of 10,000 dollars.

For many officials from the Caribbean's smaller islands, this would be the equivalent of several years' salary. The date was May 10, the place the Hyatt Regency hotel in Trinidad where the members of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) had been invited to a special meeting to listen to FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed Bin Hammam present his manifesto. Afterwards, the 25 associations - whose flights and hotel costs for two officials each were being covered by Bin Hammam - were asked to attend a conference room to pick up "a gift", according to an affidavit sent to FIFA's ethics committee. Fred Lunn, the vice-president of the Bahamas FA, was one of the first to go up to the room where he was handed a large brown envelope. When he opened it "stacks of US 100 fell out and on to the table. I was stunned to see this cash", he said in an affidavit which was presented to FIFA's ethics committee on Sunday.

Lunn said he was not authorised to accept such a gift but was urged to do so by a CFU official. He decided to hold on to the money and contact his association's president Anton Sealey, which he did by text message. Copies of these text messages were also sent to the ethics committee which suspended Bin Hammam and FIFA vice-president Jack Warner on Sunday pending a full inquiry. CFU officials Debbie Minguell and Jason Sylvester have also been suspended. Sealey then called Lunn and told him "under no circumstances would the Bahamas FA accept such a cash gift" and that he should return the 40,000 dollars. Lunn took a picture of the money before he replaced it in the envelope, and when he returned to the conference room to hand it back he had to wait while other officials queued to go in. He texted Sealey saying "a lot of the boys taking the cash, this is sad given the breaking news on the TV CNN... I'm truly surprise its happening at this conference" [sic]. In London that day, allegations that Qatar's bid team for the 2022 World Cup had paid bribes for votes had been made in Parliament. Sealey replied by text saying: "I'm disappointed but not surprised. It is important that [we] maintain our integrity when the story is told. That money will not make or break our association. You can leave with your head high."

The following morning, May 11, Lunn attended a meeting where delegates were addressed by Warner, who is also the head of the CFU. "Mr Warner stated that he had instructed Mr Bin Hammam to bring the cash equivalent of any gift he had intended to bring for the people attending this meeting," Mr Lunn said in his affidavit. "Mr Warner then stated that the money could be used for any purpose... for grassroots programs or any purpose the individuals saw fit." By then Sealey had informed Chuck Blazer, the United States' FIFA member and confederation general secretary, who spoke to Lunn and then raised the matter with FIFA's secretary general Jerome Valcke, who in turn asked him to prepare a report. Blazer also contacted Warner in person to question the payments. According to an affidavit from Blazer: "At approximately 2:00 p.m. on May 11, 2011, I received a call from Mr Warner. He stated that Mr Bin Hammam provided the money for the cash payment to the CFU delegates at the special Bin Hammam CFU meeting. "Mr Warner stated that since Mr Bin Hammam was going to be giving the money to the delegates, it was Mr Warner's idea to claim that the money was from the CFU so that it was clear to the delegates that Mr Warner was responsible for getting the money to them."

Blazer's affidavit adds: "Mr Warner told me that that morning he had told to the CFU delegates that Bin Hammam was the actual source of the money and that he (Mr Warner) explained to the delegates that everything was ok because he had advised Mr Bin Hammam to bring the 'gifts' in cash and it was his (Mr Warner's) idea to claim that the money was from the CFU. "I told Mr Warner that I was upset that he had caused these cash payments to be made. I noted that in 21 years of working together in CONCACAF we had never paid anyone for a vote."

On May 15, Blazer instructed Chicago lawyer John Collins, legal counsel to the CONCACAF confederation, to start collecting evidence. The picture was included in the evidence, and Collins was able to show the timeline of the photograph as May 10, 2011, a bar receipt from the Hyatt Regency hotel, Hyatt memo pads and a CFU letterhead. The dossier of evidence includes copies of emails sent from Warner to Blazer at the beginning of April, urging him to set up a special meeting for Bin Hammam.

After Blazer blocked this request, Warner emailed: "Chuck, Bin Hamman does not wish to speak to our members at our May 3 Congress and, in some ways, neither do I wish for him to do so. Since you are of a different opinion from me on this matter I will let him talk to the members of the Caribbean Football Union instead and invite such other members who are willing to attend to do so." Warner, Bin Hammam and the two CFU officials have been banned from all football-related activities while the full inquiry takes place.

Bin Hammam to Appeal Suspension

Mohamed Bin Hammam has announced his intention to appeal against his suspension from FIFA. The organisation's Asian confederation president was suspended on Sunday, pending the outcome of a full inquiry into allegations they paid officials 40,000 dollars each in bribes. Bin Hammam denied making any payments and today issued a statement on his website in which he said he "will not accept yesterday's decision". The statement read: "Mohamed Bin Hammam will not accept yesterday's decision by the FIFA ethics committee.

"As he is only allowed to appeal against the motivated decision by the FIFA ethics committee, he urgently requested this by Tuesday [tomorrow] to be able to file his appeal in due time and to revoke the provisional ban before Wednesday's congress is starting. "There are many open questions: What was the discussion in the ethics committee and how did the ethics committee come to its conclusion?

There are many other questions which need to be answered and transparency is urgently needed. "The way these proceedings have been conducted is absolutely not compliant with any principles of justice. I am punished before I am found guilty. "I get the impression that the outcome of these proceedings had been defined from the very beginning as it has been made evident at the press conference on Sunday evening at which FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke showed his bias very clearly. "This is not acceptable as the FIFA ethics committee is supposed to be a fully independent body.

Therefore, I also expect the further investigation to be influenced and manipulated." Bin Hammam withdrew from the FIFA presidential election yesterday. Blatter is the only candidate and the election will take place as scheduled on Wednesday.

Evra Targets Barca Rematch

Patrice Evra wants to chance to tackle Barcelona again in next season's Champions League final. After suffering their second defeat on such an occasion in three years at Wembley on Saturday, Manchester United could be forgiven for wanting to avoid the Catalans for a little while.

As Barcelona's average age is younger than their own, United might wonder if it is possible for them ever to get the better of Lionel Messi and company, who destroyed them with an awesome passing display.

However, rather than be fearful, Evra is already steeling himself for the challenge of a rematch in Munich 12 months from now. "Manchester United never die," he told MUTV. "We are not afraid. I want to come back to the final and play against Barcelona again. "Manchester United had a good season - not a great season because we didn't win on Saturday night - but we have still won the league and we are going to win the league again next year, and make sure we win the Champions League as well."

Berbatov Future in Real Doubt

Dimitar Berbatov appears likely to quit Manchester United after his exclusion from the Champions League final squad. Berbatov, 30, was the joint leading scorer in the Premier League this season but found himself increasingly marginalised as Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez became established as Sir Alex Ferguson's chosen strike partnership. Ferguson surprisingly opted for Michael Owen, whose contract expires this summer, on the bench in place of Berbatov for Saturday's 3-1 defeat to Barcelona at Wembley, and it was suggested the Bulgarian had refused to remain at the stadium as a result.

However, his agent, Emil Danchev, said: "It's nonsense. Mitko [Berbatov] was at Wembley and watched the game. There is nothing to say. Let us take a few days. Even so, it appears his days at the club may be numbered. The Sun and The Daily Star are now claiming that Berbatov has already made up his mind to leave, while the Daily Mirror moots a potential swap deal with Tottenham's Luka Modric.

The Independent notes that, while Manchester United have an option to extend Berbatov's deal by a year, they are in no rush to do so, while The Times adds that he "could hardly have had a more bleak indication about his future prospects than being overlooked in favour of Owen, who has started one league match all season". Despite the suggestions that Berbatov has played his last game for the club, team-mate Nani has urged Ferguson to retain the forward as he sets about renewing his squad for next season. "He has scored a lot of goals, and I would like him to play for Manchester again next season," Nani said. "I don't know which players will be coming in, but most important is that the ones who stay fight for us." Berbatov was present at United's open-top bus tour on Monday to celebrate their Premier League success.

Meanwhile, The Times says Ferguson, 69, has pledged to stay on a further three years as he seeks to add to United's Champions League tally and establish the club among the all-time European elite. "The Scot, who came close to retiring at 60, has indicated to the board that he could stay on beyond his 72nd birthday and break the late Sir Bobby Robson's record as the oldest manager since the Premier League began," the paper reports.

"Ferguson had maintained that he would not emulate Robson by managing beyond his 70th birthday this year and has often intimated that he could make a sudden decision to step down at the end of a season. But his latest discussions with the United hierarchy have led to the belief that retirement has never been farther from his mind."

Nani Sees Positives in Defeat

Manchester United winger Nani remains convinced Manchester United can beat Barcelona next season despite the manner of Saturday night's Champions League final defeat. Sir Alex Ferguson's side started well at Wembley and went in level at 1-1 at half-time before being outclassed after the break and eventually losing 3-1 to Barca.

Despite the manner of the defeat, Nani, who came on after 69 minutes, believes United can take heart from several aspects of the performance as they look to eventually win Ferguson his third European Cup success. "We got to the final and had an opportunity to win and fight against Barcelona to try to win the trophy but it is difficult to play against Barca," the Portugal international said. "You never know, next season maybe we'll get to the final again, against a different team. Or even if it's Barcelona, we could win it.''

He added: "I think we showed in the first half that it can be done against Barca, we can play against them and score goals. But in the second half we left a lot of space in the middle and then they created more chances.'' Nani admitted it was difficult for sides to maintain such pressure for a whole game. He said: "They play such good football and they have such fantastic midfield players. They keep the ball for a long time and then it's hard to run all the time after it.''

On Saturday night, as in 2009, United were without the midfield energy of Darren Fletcher, but Nani refused to cite the Scot's absence as a reason for the defeat. "I don't know, Darren's a fantastic player but the decision is Sir Alex's to make and he decided to not put Darren Fletcher in the team. Everybody on the pitch had the quality to play and perform.''

The winger admitted he was "bitterly disappointed'' by the result and also frustrated by his omission from the starting XI. "It is hard for me because I always want to play and always want to be in the team,'' he said. "I wanted to play the final. Everyone wants to play the final and because I did so well this season and I was a bit disappointed not to be in the team. "But that is football. Sometimes you play and sometimes you don't play but I have to respect the manager's decision. You cannot do anything.''

Fergie Insists Berbatov Did Not Storm Out

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson insists Dimitar Berbatov did not storm out of Wembley after being dumped from the squad to face Barcelona in the Champions League final on Saturday night. Berbatov, a £30 million signing from Tottenham Hotspur in 2009 and the joint leading scorer in the Premier League this season, wasn't expected to start the game, which United lost 3-1, but failed even to make the bench.

Early reports suggested Berbatov had left Wembley after being told of his omission and the Sunday newspapers are full of speculation about the Bulgarian's future, or lack of it, at Old Trafford. However, Ferguson insists that Berbatov did not throw a wobbler and was in the United dressing room after the final whistle. The United boss also said his decision to leave out the 30-year-old had prompted "heartache" in the build-up to the match.

"For Berbatov it was a difficult decision," said Ferguson. "Picking my team I found easy, but picking my subs I found very difficult. I tended to overload the midfield positions because I thought that was the position that was most important. "I gambled with just one defender (on the bench) to allow me to get as many options in midfield and wide positions. It was a choice between Michael Owen and Dimitar Berbatov and if you are looking for someone to nick a goal in the last few minutes you want Owen's experience." Berbatov is entering the last year of his contract at Old Trafford and he has been linked with a return to Tottenham.

Van der Sar Plans Long Break

Edwin van der Sar played his final match of his long career at Wembley on Saturday night and the Manchester United goalkeeper is looking forward to a well earned rest. The veteran Dutchman, 40, was unable to provide a fitting climax to his stellar career as United lost 3-1 to Barcelona in the Champions League final but he could eventually return to winning ways as a coach.

Van der Sar has started taking his coaching badges and has enrolled on a course in Holland, so he does have the option of completing them both in his adopted home and his real one. Given his experience, Van der Sar is bound to be a man in demand. However, his immediate reaction as he headed towards the rest of his life was to take a break. "I have done some coaching badges in England and have put myself forward to do that in Holland as well but I am not sure if I am going to finish them,'' he said. "Maybe it is too soon. I want to take a year out and do some nice things. "I want to watch some games with friends in a normal situation on a Saturday, have a nice meal on a Saturday night, watch a game on Sunday, play golf and have some family time.''

All those things must look so appealing to someone who has spent so long coping with the discipline required to operate at such a high level. In addition, his wife Annemarie's continuing recovery from a stroke has to be taken into account. However, how long it will be before Van der Sar starts to get itchy feet for an involvement in the game he knows so well remains to be seen. "It is not going to be easy,'' he said. "I never said that. I have some friends who retired five or six years ago, so I have exceeded my expectations by two or three seasons anyway. It is not a big problem.'' Van der Sar was remarkably emotionless about his retirement, and the fact his final game ended in a defeat. "I am quite all right,'' he said. "It is not too bad. I expected more emotions, or different ones. It is the right time for me and I am happy with my decision.''

For the second time in three seasons, Van der Sar was powerless to prevent United going down to Barca. It has been suggested he was too slow getting across for the Lionel Messi shot that put Pep Guardiola's side ahead for a second time and ultimately proved to be the winner. However, that does not take into account the speed with which the Argentina forward took his chance and the bodies in the former Ajax man's way as the ball flashed past him. "It took them 20 minutes to get into the game, so we doubled that from Rome [2009 final],'' he laughed.

"After equalising, you hope the game is still open but we didn't start the second half well and were on the back foot again. "You can stop them. They have lost a couple of times this season so you must be able to. But they are a very good side with some excellent players.''

Hernandez Almost Quit Football

Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez claims that he almost quit football completely two years ago, before the support of his family helped him seal his move to England. Hernandez has been the star signing of the Premier League this season as his goals helped United to win their 19th title, but having gone two years without scoring in Mexico, he fell out of favour with Chivas manager, Efrain Flores, and almost gave up playing.

"I wasn't getting the minutes I wanted, the coach wasn't playing me - I don't know why - and I was frustrated,'' he told the Guardian. My confidence started to drop. It reached the point where I was no longer enjoying football. I went to my family and asked whether I should carry on. "They told me I had devoted a lot of time to trying to make my dream come true and not to give it up. They said to keep fighting, keep focused and the most important thing was to keep enjoying the game because people all over the world want to be football players."

Thankfully for United, he stayed on his chosen path and in April 2010 they concluded a £6.5 million deal shrouded in secrecy. "We knew for two months but my father and I were told we couldn't tell the family, our friends or anyone else," Hernandez said. "It was hard. We are a big family, we are all very close, and we always want to talk about what is going on with each other. But we kept to their wishes. We told nobody." Hernandez admits that he found the style of English football hard to adjust to, claiming: "In the first training session I looked at myself and realised I needed more strength. I am not the tallest or the biggest, so I knew I needed to improve on that. That first training session, it was a bit of a shock, to be honest.

Then, my first game, against Chelsea at Wembley [the Community Shield], I noticed the physical side even more." But no-one could have predicted the impact that the Mexican would have in his first season in England. Relegating Premier League top scorer Dimitar Berbatov to a bit-part role, Hernandez has scored 13 league goals in 27 appearances and puts his success down to support from both club and family. "When I say I'm at the best club in the world, I mean it,'' he said. ''It's unbelievable the support you get here, the care they take to make sure the players are comfortable and happy. It's made me feel like I've been playing here for two or three years.

"It is still hard to believe [his success], especially when I was with my family when I got my medal and the Premier League trophy last Sunday". Hernadez's season could yet get better as he prepares to face Barcelona in the Champions League final. "Whatever happens," he added, "it has still been a year I could never imagine."

Scholes: We can Match Barca's Style

Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has hailed Barcelona as "the ultimate" team, but is confident the Premier League champions can match their opponents blow-for-blow in the style stakes at Wembley.

Scholes, 36, is preparing for his third Champions League final with United, having also competed in the 2008 and 2009 finals, though he missed out on the club's 1999 triumph through suspension. The former England international helped United to the 2008 final by scoring the winning goal against Barca in the semi and he was rewarded with a place in Ferguson's starting line-up against Chelsea in Moscow. But a year later it was a different story for Scholes, who was reduced to a 20-minute cameo at the end of the Red Devils' 2-0 defeat to the Catalans in Rome.

The veteran midfielder is expected to start on the bench again on Saturday, but he believes United are relishing the prospect of testing themselves against Pep Guardiola's talented charges. "There is no doubt the two best teams have made it to the final,'' Scholes said. "Barcelona are the ultimate. They are what we all look to and want to play like. "But our football can be just as good as theirs at times. We have a lot of quality too. Both teams want to go forward and score goals, so I don't think anyone could ask for a bigger or a better final.'' And Scholes says regrets over the meek surrender of their European crown to Barca in 2008 drive he and his team-mates to want to regain the title. "There is a determination to make sure that doesn't happen again,'' Scholes said. "It wasn't a nice night and the summer afterwards felt very long. This time we intend to at least give it a go.''

Scholes is still to reveal his intentions for next season, having so far refused to say whether he is going to accept the option of another one-year contract. "I felt great until the Rangers game [in December], when I did my groin,'' he said. "I should only have been out for a week to 10 days. It ended up dragging on for six weeks and I found it quite difficult to get back in. "It took me a while to get used to the fact it would take me longer to get match fit again because I was only playing every couple of weeks. It is just the way it is. Now I am looking forward to a good end to the season.''

Schmeichel: De Gea Must Step Up

Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel has told David de Gea that he must "step up a level" in order to make a success of his reported move to Old Trafford. De Gea, 20, is expected to join United in the near future as a replacement for Edwin van der Sar - although the Atletico Madrid player has shunned suggestions a deal has already been agreed.

Concerns have been raised that De Gea, who is 20 years younger than Van der Sar, has enough experience to follow in the Dutchman's footsteps - and Schmeichel has done nothing to quell these fears. "De Gea has done very well at Atletico, but now he has to step up a level because he is not just signing for any old team, he is signing for Manchester United,"

Schmeichel said. "This is not just by chance, Ferguson does not sign anyone like that - when he signs someone it is because he has followed them for a long time. When he arrives in July, Ferguson will tell him everything he needs to know." Meanwhile, the Daily Mirror suggests that Van der Sar will be first to collect the European Cup if United triumph on his farewell appearance at Wembley on Saturday.

Mascherano Ready for United

Barcelona midfielder Javier Mascherano claims he is eagerly anticipating Saturday's Champions League final and denies feeling more motivated because Manchester United lie in wait. Mascherano spent more than three years with United's bitter rivals Liverpool and the Argentina international was sent off at Old Trafford after a heated incident involving former Premier League referee Steve Bennett. He insists it does not matter who Barca face in the Wembley spectacle, stating the fact that is it the European final will act as motivation enough.

"It's a Champions League final - it's special anyway,'' he said. "Playing against United doesn't make it more special for me, but I played against them lots of times and in general terms they are a very strong team. "Their defence has two centre-backs, [Nemanja] Vidic and [Rio] Ferdinand, that offer many guarantees and have huge quality. "In general they are a great team and the statistics show that: in the last four years they have got to three Champions League finals and won three leagues. They are one of the best teams in the world today.'' The 26-year-old is set to line up in Barcelona's defence, a position which he has had to adapt to this season due to injuries at Camp Nou.

Mascherano will have to deal with the attacking threat of United and he knows who the danger men will be. "You know that when you play a final, especially against a team like United, that you're playing against some of the best strikers in the world,'' he added. "(Wayne) Rooney and Chicharito have enormous quality.'' Mascherano arrived from Anfield last summer and took a while to win over the Barca faithful, but the Argentina international has impressed of late with some excellent performances in both defence and midfield. He is keen to earn a place in Pep Guardiola's starting line-up and admits that he is lucky to be in with a shout of the first XI. "It wouldn't be a disappointment not to play - not at all,'' he remarked. "With the great team-mates and great players there are in this team, I am honoured to be part it. "I'm sure our coach will pick the best XI we have and I will try, as I have done throughout the season, to offer myself to the team and help my team-mates, be it on the pitch or off it.''