Paul Scholes, the Manchester United midfielder who declined an invitation from Fabio Capello to come out of international retirement and be part of England's World Cup squad in South Africa, will spend part of June coaching in Florida.
While Scholes's clubmate Wayne Rooney and the rest of the England squad are preparing for their second game in Group C, against Algeria in Cape Town on 18 June, Scholes will be near Orlando. A group of girls and boys aged between eight and 18 will have paid $449 (£302) a head to be coached by him.
Supported by the Darlington manager, Simon Davey, Scholes is scheduled to be the star attraction of the Paul Scholes Soccer Academy Week between 14 and 17 June. The project is being run under the auspices of the Midwest Soccer Academy (MSA) at the Austin-Tindall regional park in Kissimmee.
Scholes, who is billed in the United States as the "Manchester United and England superstar", has been booked to coachfrom 8am and 2pm every day.
Tony Shard, the MSA president and a long-term friend of Scholes's from their childhood in Lancashire, told the Guardian of his delight that the midfielder had decided not to cancel his trip to Florida when Capello called.
"I gather Paul turned Fabio Capello's World Cup offer down," said Shard, who played youth football for Oldham Athletic. "So I guess England's disappointment is our good fortune. Paul is a fantastic coach. We are very lucky to have him and Simon Davey this summer."
Will Russell, an MSA staff member, hinted that youth coaching might prove the bedrock of Scholes's life after he retires from the game. "I think Paul knows he can't play forever and this is something which really interests him and he has a heart for," he said. "Paul will be present every day and will be working with the kids in every session."
If Scholes can expect some ribbing if England have slipped up against the USA in their first group game, in Rustenburg on 12 June, Capello must trust that he will not be left to rue the midfielder's decision to shun potential night-time South African frosts in favour of day-time Floridian highs reaching the low 90s fahrenheit.
England's manager had been given reason to believe the famously home-loving, 35-year-old father of three, who won the last of his 66 caps at Euro 2004, might end his international retirement. But after "sleeping" on the matter, Scholes declined.
"We had been monitoring him for the second part of the season, when he's played very well," said Capello this week. "We tried to convince him to come back but he said 'no'. He preferred to stay with his family."
Not to mention the prospect of a short spell of work in the Orlando sunshine.
