Published: 23:00, 30 October 2025 | Updated: 23:00, 30 October 2025

Paul Scholes has revealed how he kept news of his youngest son Aiden's autism diagnosis bottled up while he was playing at Manchester United. 

The former midfielder shared in heartbreaking detail the challenges and rewards of caring for the 20-year-old, whom Scholes describes as being non-verbal and having 'severe autism'. 

Scholes has taken a step back from television punditry roles this year in a bid to centre his life around managing Aiden's routine, with the former player living with him three nights a week after separating from his childhood sweetheart and wife of 26 years Claire Froggatt. 

In an appearance on Stick to Football, sponsored by Arne, Scholes also shared that he had been so affected by learning about Aiden's early diagnosis while playing for Man United's first team that he had been dropped the following week after struggling to play. 

Scholes preferred to keep his personal life to himself during his time playing under Sir Alex Ferguson, something that was noticed by his former team-mates, including Gary Neville. ...