Paul Scholes hits back at Wayne Rooney: 'I'm greedy, I want my medal!'

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has delivered a cheeky response to former teammate Wayne Rooney after the striker claimed he would not accept the 2011-12 Premier League title if Manchester City were stripped of it.

Following a sensational legal verdict finding City guilty on the majority of the 115 charges brought by the Premier League, fierce debate has erupted across England regarding the legacy of City's most successful era between 2009 and 2018.

While figures such as Rio Ferdinand and David de Gea have publicly called for the championship medals from the dramatic 2011-12 campaign to be awarded to United's squad from that season, Rooney strongly pushed back against the idea, arguing the Red Devils did not deserve the trophy.

Scholes wasted no time in reacting, posting a fiery message on his Instagram story: "Keep hearing ex-teammates saying strip them of trophies but don't want the medal... Fuck that, I'm greedy and I want my medal."

Earlier, speaking on his show 'Stick to United', Rooney explained his stance on the season in which Manchester United lost the title on goal difference alone:

"I heard what Rio said about getting another Premier League medal... Honestly, I wouldn't feel comfortable taking it. I don't think we deserve it, we just didn't do enough back then. We were six or seven points clear with four or five games to go and we blew it."

Rooney added that he felt sympathy for City's players:

"I put myself in the shoes of the Manchester City players. They go out on the pitch, give everything to win, and in their minds, they're champions. If those players have no idea what's going on higher up and that happened to me, I'd be absolutely devastated. I'm happy with the five titles I won, and I don't want that one."

Scholes boasts a record 11 Premier League winners' medals in his glittering trophy cabinet, five of which were won alongside Rooney at Old Trafford.

Meanwhile, Manchester City announced on Friday that they have formally lodged an appeal against the ruling. The club stressed that the decision rests on material errors of fact and law, insisting they possess irrefutable evidence to prove their innocence.

Under current Premier League regulations, the fresh hearing must take place within 12 weeks, with the proceedings lasting a maximum of five days and a final decision expected within 30 days of its conclusion.