Paul Scholes, 50, sends message to fans after revealing split from wife and discussing autistic son

“Would just like to thank everyone for all your kind messages since The Overlap interview regarding Aiden – there’s been loads and I’ve tried to read as many as possible,” Scholes wrote.

“The response from families, especially Dads, shows how much speaking about it helps so many. There was one quote from a parent in a similar position that’s just got me: ‘My job is to stay alive one day longer than my son or daughter.’”

The moving message followed a rare public insight into Scholes’s private life, in which he explained why he has stepped away from television and media work to focus entirely on caring for Aiden, who has autism and is largely non-verbal.

The former midfielder, who spent his entire playing career at Manchester United, said during the interview that he had made a conscious decision to centre his life around his youngest son.

“I just decided everything I’m going to do is around Aiden,” he told his former teammates Gary Neville and Roy Keane during the discussion.

Scholes, who has three children with his estranged wife, Claire Froggatt, spoke with remarkable honesty about the daily challenges and routines involved in caring for Aiden, now 20.

He also revealed the news of his split from Claire, revealing that Aiden would spend a few nights each week at his mother's house.

His openness has resonated deeply with parents and carers of children with additional needs, with hundreds of messages of solidarity flooding social media in the days since the interview aired.

While his eldest son Arron runs the family’s gym in Oldham and his daughter Alicia is a talented netball player with London Pulse, Scholes said his focus is now solely on Aiden’s care and comfort.

The football great has often kept his private life away from the public eye, and even Neville noted during the interview that Scholes had rarely opened up about personal matters before.

The former midfielder’s comments have struck a chord across the country, shining a light on the realities of parenting children with autism and the emotional weight that families often face behind closed doors.

Many viewers praised Scholes not just for his humility but for helping to normalise conversations around autism and family support among fathers in particular.

Known throughout his career for his quiet intensity and aversion to the spotlight, Scholes’s unfiltered honesty has revealed a different side to one of English football’s most admired figures.

His words have also inspired discussions about the importance of awareness, understanding and empathy for families caring for children with additional needs.

In his understated way, Scholes ended his post by encouraging people to cherish small joys — to enjoy their weekends, share a drink with friends and, as ever, support his beloved Salford City FC.