Paul Scholes lives close to his wife, Claire Froggatt, despite the Manchester United icon announcing their split in a heartbreaking interview.
Speaking to former teammate Gary Neville on the Stick to Football podcast, the 50-year-old revealed that he now fits his punditry work around his son Aiden, who is severely autistic.
Scholes is no longer commentating for matches on TNT Sports and is putting his family first.
Speaking about Aiden, he said: “Aiden has quite a strict routine every single day, so everything I do now is built around him.
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“We always do the same things because he doesn’t know what day of the week it is or what time it is, but he knows from what we’re doing what day it is.”
Elaboring further, he continued: “I pick him up every Tuesday from his daycare and we go swimming. He loves swimming, then we get his pizza on the way home.
“On Thursdays, I pick him up, we go for something to eat, then home.
Paul Scholes lives close to his wife, Claire Froggatt, despite the Manchester United icon announcing their split in a heartbreaking interview
|PA
“On Sundays, I pick him up from Claire’s house and we go to Tesco where he fills the trolley with chocolate. He’ll be 21 in December.”
Scholes and Claire had previously been described as 'childhood sweethearts'.
They married in 1999 and have three children together: Alicia, Arron and Aiden.
Paul Scholes won 11 Premier League titles during his time at Manchester United
|GETTY/PA/GBNEWS
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Paul Scholes is putting his son Aiden first with the Manchester United legend taking a step back from media duties | INSTAGRAMThe couple always maintained a private approach to their relationship while Scholes was playing for United, where he won 11 league titles.
According to the Daily Mail, they continue to live in close proximity together. Their other children have all 'flown the nest'.
Scholes and Claire continue to support each other, and Aiden, despite choosing to separate after 26 years of marriage.
Paul Scholes married wife Claire back in 1999, when he was playing for Manchester United | PASpeaking to Neville, the former England midfielder revealed how he'd sometimes struggle as a player - and that he struggled to tell Sir Alex Ferguson.
“I never got a break from it, even when I was playing,” he said.
“There were times I’d turn up for training with bite or scratch marks. It was very hard in those days.
Paul Scholes is considered one of the greatest midfielders in Premier League history
“You knew early something was wrong, and then when you get the diagnosis, it hits you.
"I remember once playing Derby away and I just didn’t want to be there. The manager dropped me the week after, and I hadn’t told anyone yet.”
Elaborating on his decision to reduce punditry work, he explained: “Last season, I used to do the Europa League on Thursday nights for United — that was the night I’d usually have Aiden.
"He would get agitated, biting and scratching, because he knew the pattern had changed.
“I’d done that for years, always thinking I had to stop at some point.
"So when the podcast opportunity came up [with Nicky Butt], I thought that would suit me better — well, not me, Aiden.”