with the turn of the century, scholes became a prominent player in england's midfield, becoming a first-choice selection for the 2002 world cup. immediately prior to euro 2004, however, scholes was played out of position on the left midfield to accommodate the pairing of steven gerrard and frank lampard in central midfield, starting on the left for the last five matches of his international career. scholes announced his retirement from international football in august 2004, citing his family life and his club career with manchester united as being more important.