Inside Paul Scholes mansion with football pitch, netball court and putting green

It should come as no surprise that Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has a football pitch in his back garden.

The 45-year-old midfielder loved the beautiful game so much he couldn’t resist a return to the pitch after he retired for the first time and went on to win the Premier League for the 11th time in 2013.

Scholes’ stunning seven-bedroom home has been put on the market for a whopping £3.9million.

It comes just months after his “devastating split” from his wife of more than two decades, Claire.

The couple were just 18 when they met in the local pub and are both said to be heartbroken by the separation.

A source told The Sun: “You have to feel for them as they both value family above everything else. They’ve been together forever and nobody saw this coming.”

It seems both Paul and Claire are keen for a fresh start and have put their lavish home on the market, more than 21 years after they first moved in.

Riding high on the 1998 World Cup campaign, Scholes and his wife bought the home in Saddleworth, Greater Manchester.

It has been described as the “finest property” in the quaint village and comes with some very special extras and was completely refurbished in 2015.

A description on the estate agent’s websiye says: “The complete privacy of the plot allowed the architects to use large amounts of glass throughout the property giving it a modern look and creating synergy between the internal and external spaces with plenty of natural light.

“When viewing, it becomes evident the amount of time and consideration that has gone into this exceptional property.”

Many of the bedrooms are ensuite and the master bedroom comes with its own ‘his n hers’ dressing area.

There is even a roof terrace with stunning views of the surrounding countryside.

But it’s outside that the luxury home really comes into its own with sports pitches galore.

As well as the five-a-side football pitch, clearly built for dad, there is also a putting green, a golf tee net, a netball court and a huge children’s climbing frame.

Scholes’ daughter, Alicia, is a talented netball player and at just 18 is about to break into the Manchester Thunder team.

If you still aren’t tired after taking advantage of all those sporting activities, the house also features a heated swimming pool complete with a steam room, shower and changing facilities.

And if the weather isn’t up to much, you can always fit in a workout in the gym.

If you fancy a chill-out after all that exercise you can watch a film in the home cinema in the property before going for a walk around the landscaped gardens.

With six reception rooms, there’s definitely plenty of room for entertaining and you’ll never get caught short with a whopping six bathrooms.

Scholes isn’t the only one from Manchester United’s famous Class of ’92 to be putting his luxury mansion up for sale.

He’s following in the footsteps of former team-mate, Ryan Giggs, whose £3.5million home is also on the market.

Nicky Butt, Phil Neville and Gary Neville are also in the process of selling their lavish homes.

Some of the multi-million pound mansions have proved difficult to sell despite their Premier League connections, with Phil Neville’s luxury apartment in Manchester on the market for nearly 10 years.