Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand determined to persuade Paul Scholes to play on for another season

Rio Ferdinand says he is determined to persuade Paul Scholes to extend his Manchester United career for a further season following the 37-year-old’s impact since returning from retirement. 

Scholes, who came back in January after six months out of the game, finished third behind Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney in the Football Writers’ Footballer of the Year poll earlier this week, despite playing in just 18 games this season.

Although the former England midfielder is understood to be leaning towards staying on at Old Trafford next season, Manchester United have yet to discuss terms, with Sir Alex Ferguson insisting that the issue is shelved until the end of the campaign.

But with Scholes yet to experience defeat in the Premier League since returning to action, Ferdinand admits he will make every effort to ensure that the veteran is part of United’s squad next campaign.

“Definitely.” Ferdinand said. “It would be nice if he could play another season, but with Scholesy, you know it doesn’t make a difference what anybody else says.

“He’s his own man and he’ll make his own decision. 

“There are a number of reasons why we’ve done well since the turn of the year and there’s no doubt that one of them is Paul Scholes.

“It’s not just the quality of his football that impresses me but the way he has adapted physically.

“He was out of the game for months and yet he’s come straight back into top-level football and he’s hardly looked out of place. At this stage of his career, that’s phenomenal.” Scholes is expected to start in next Monday’s title decider against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium - a game which would see Roberto Mancini’s team claim top spot if they defeat United.

And with City trimming United’s eight point lead to just three in the space of two weeks, goalkeeper Joe Hart admits the derby cannot come quickly enough.

“There are only a few games to go now.” Hart said. “We’ve been putting this one (United game) off for a long time and people have been talking about it, but now it’s the next game and the one we are excited about.

“Our title chances are certainly a lot better than they were. We are excited - we feel ready, we are firing goals in. We are looking forward to it.

“We’ve always been focused on finishing the season well and we have given ourselves a really good chance.” Meanwhile, Greater Manchester Police are set to have 600 officers on duty at the game on Monday evening, but they will not be deployed in riot gear, as they were during January’s FA Cup tie.

That fixture passed off peacefully and the police have held discussions with the clubs, supporters’ groups and pub landlords in an effort to outline their planned operation next week.

From mid-afternoon on Monday, drinking will not be permitted in the streets in an exclusion zone from the city centre to the stadium