Copyright manchestereveningnews
Paul Scholes has emotionally thanked his social media followers for the messages they have sent him after speaking out about caring for his 20-year-old son Aiden . Scholes openly discussed his son's autism earlier this week on episode 100 of the "Stick to Football" podcast alongside former Manchester United team-mates Gary Neville and Roy Keane . And taking to Instagram on Friday, Scholes shared on his story: "Would just like to thank everyone for all your kind messages since the Overlap interview regarding Aiden. "There have been loads and tried to read as many as possible. 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 for one day longer than my son/daughter'. Anyway, it's the weekend, let's have a few drinks and watch the football. Come on, Salford." Scholes, who has stepped away from live TV coverage on TNT Sports, spoke openly about the change to his work as a surprise guest on the podcast. "I made a decision this year 'cos of Aiden," he said. "Obviously, due to his special needs, you might know about, all the work I do now is just around his routines. 'cos he has quite a strict routine every single day, so I just decided everything I'm going to do is around Aiden." Scholes further explained: "Everything I'm going to do now just works around him. I do studio work, but everything is built around his day. "Last season on Thursday nights, I'd do the Europa League for Man United, that's the night I'd usually have him, so he was getting all agitated, biting and scratching. He knows the pattern's not there straight away. "And I did that for years, really, always thinking I've got to stop this at some point, so I had the chance to do the podcast (The Good, The Bad & The Football), and I thought that would suit me more - well, not me, Aiden." Scholes also spoke about his weekly arrangements after splitting up with Aiden's mother and his wife of 26 years. "I'm not with Claire anymore, so we have him three nights each, and Claire's mum has him on a Friday night. "We always do the same things with him, as he doesn't know what day or time of the week it is. But he'll know from what we're doing what day it is. "I pick him up every Tuesday from his day care, and we go swimming. Loves swimming, then we get his pizza on the way home. "Thursday, pick him up, go for something to eat, and go home. Sunday, I pick him up from Claire's house, and we go to Tesco , where he buys a trolley full of chocolate. "So, he doesn't know what day or time it is, but he knows from what we're doing what day it is. He'll be 21 in December." This week’s Stick to Football podcast with Paul Scholes is available now on YouTube and all leading podcast platforms. Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis. Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories. And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis, then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts , and you can also watch along on YouTube .
