­Scholes appointed Oldham manager

LONDON: Former Manchester United and England midfielder Paul Scholes has been appointed as manager of Oldham Athletic, the club announced on Monday.

Scholes, 44, is taking on his first managerial role, signing a contract with the club he supported as a boy after spending his entire playing career at Old Trafford.The former Premier League club are languishing in mid-table in League Two, the fourth tier of the English game.

“Oldham Athletic are delighted to announce footballing legend Paul Scholes as the new first-team manager on a one-and-a-half-year-deal,” the club said in a statement.“Paul has won everything there is to win in football,” said owner Abdallah Lemsagam. “He is a man who will bring a lot of footballing knowledge and his hunger to succeed in management will be there for everyone to see.

“It’s no secret how much he has wanted this job in the past and how much he loves this club, so I’m very happy to bring him into our family at Oldham Athletic.”Manchester United wished Scholes luck, saying in a message on Twitter: “Best of luck to Scholesy in his new role as first-team manager of @OfficialOAFC!”Scholes, who owns a stake in non-league Salford, will step down from his role as director of the National League club.