Paul Scholes and Cristiano Ronaldo may be on the same wavelength on the pitch, but off it you could trawl the planet and not find two more contrasting characters.

While Ronaldo has spent the past couple of weeks happily being photographed by the world's paparazzi and courted by beautiful women as he recovers from ankle surgery on holiday in the showbiz paradise of Los Angeles, his Manchester United team-mate would love nothing more than to be back home with his family in the sleepy Lancashire village of Saddleworth, out of sight and out of mind.

Instead, Scholes is on United's pre-season tour to South Africa, fulfilling one of the obligations that come with playing for arguably the most famous football club in the world.

After the hysteria of Asia last summer, which was anathema to a player averse to even the slightest attention (imagine the joy he felt when he was sent home injured), South Africa is a lot more relaxed, but, as Scholes conceded during a rare audience this week, the scrutiny and intrusion that comes with being such a high-profile player are things that he cannot wait to escape.

“I can't say I can't wait to finish [my career], but I'm looking forward to finishing and everything that goes with it,” he said. “The only thing I will definitely miss is the football. The general life of a footballer is not for me, I suppose. People are just very invasive and are always wanting to know what you're going to do.”

Not that Scholes is unappreciative of the considerable talents bestowed on him or that he is eager to bow out any time soon. The former England midfield player - former only because he wants it that way - will turn 34 in November and he believes that he probably has two years left at Old Trafford, although he would not rule out playing for longer if he has the legs and the club want him.

Nor would he be opposed to dropping down a division or two if the hunger that has helped to glean 14 leading trophies stays with him, as it surely will, although it is impossible to imagine the ginger pimpernel in anything other than the red of United.

Sir Bobby Charlton claimed in his recent autobiography that no United player past or present has better embodied the spirit and values that the club hold dear than Scholes and, when taken in light of Ronaldo's brazen badgering for a move to Real Madrid this summer, Charlton's assessment rings particularly true.

If Ronaldo is the epitome of the modern-day footballer, Scholes is a throwback to a generation seemingly long gone, modest and humble to the last, despite being the most technically accomplished English player of the past 20 years. So what does the man himself make of his team-mate's desire to move to Spain?

Scholes is convinced that the Portugal forward would be making a grave mistake leaving a team that he believes are on the cusp of greatness. “If players fancy a move and a bit of money, then good luck to them, but when they're at a place like this, I don't think they realise how lucky they are to be playing here,” Scholes said. “It's always a step down [after United]. There are obviously big clubs in the world, but while certain people think it might be a progression if they move somewhere else, when you leave here I don't think it is.”

Scholes claims never to have been offered the opportunity to join another club, but the likelihood is that no one bothered trying to sign him because they knew that they would have no chance of prising him away. Either that or Sir Alex Ferguson kept quiet as the offers poured in. “I'm at Manchester United and I'm from Manchester - what more do I need?” Scholes said.

Having overcome an eye condition that, for a long time, seemed likely to bring a premature end to a glittering career, Scholes's resurgence in the past two seasons has been remarkable, a testament to his sheer force of will as much as his intelligence on the field.

The goals may not come as readily as they once did - even though he hopes to rediscover that scoring touch - but his importance and influence remain undiluted, as Barcelona discovered to their cost during their Champions League semi-final meeting with United.

Scholes claims that his 30-yard thunderbolt in the second leg at Old Trafford was “only a moment” in the match, although given that it was the only thing that separated the two teams over 180 minutes of football, it is fair to say that it was much more than that.

Having missed the 1999 Champions League final against Bayern Munich because of suspension, United's subsequent victory on penalties over Chelsea in Moscow was a particularly special occasion for Scholes, although, that he had already consigned the game to memory and was looking ahead to next season by the time he boarded the flight home says everything about the player's mentality.

Scholes was dismayed not to have reached another Champions League final earlier, but while he is unsure whether complacency, as Roy Keane claimed, contributed to United's failure to build on the success of 1999 in Europe, he is convinced that this United team will not have to wait long before they win the trophy again.

“We had that one great year [in 1999] when we won everything and travelled away from home and scored a lot of goals, but after that it just didn't seem to happen,” he said. “Whether teams worked us out I don't know, but with regards to this team you're hopeful that they can go on and do things that Real Madrid [nine-times European Cup winners] and AC Milan [seven-times winners] have done.

“I don't think it matters how much you win. As soon as you win it, the day after you look forward and try and win it again. I would have liked to have won it more or even just got to the final a bit more, but hopefully we can do better than we did [in 1999] when we had to wait another nine years.”

Lifestyles of the rich and famous

Favourite pastimes

Ronaldo Sunbathing, shopping, serenading beautiful women, such as Nereida Gallardo, a Spanish model and former girlfriend, and spurning the advances of scores of others, such as Paris Hilton, reportedly.
Scholes Watching Oldham Athletic, staying at home in Saddleworth with his wife, Claire, and their three children, occasional fish and chips.

Favourite hangouts

Ronaldo Any of the world's super-clubs, present favourite being Villa, a popular celebrity haunt in Los Angeles.
Scholes Saddleworth's local pubs.

Fashion sense

Ronaldo Gucci, Prada, anything designer, and tiny Wham!1980s-style metallic shorts, not to mention lots of diamond encrusted jewellery.
Scholes About as bling as Tring, Hertfordshire's small market town.

Life's mission

Ronaldo To become the best, most famous and highest-paid footballer in the world.
Scholes To live the quietest life possible while continuing to excel for arguably the world's most famous club.

What they say

Ronaldo “I would like to play for Real Madrid, but only if it's true they are ready to pay what Manchester United ask of them.”Scholes “I'm at Manchester United, what more do I need?”

Words by James Ducker