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Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has revealed that he stepped back from commentary work to care for his 20-year-old autistic son, Aiden.

Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Scholes also divulged that he has split from his wife and childhood sweetheart, Claire Froggatt.

He opened up on the challenges and rewards of looking after his son.

Scholes said on the podcast, “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 Manchester 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.”

Scholes explained that he initially kept Aiden’s diagnosis a secret from his teammates and Sir Alex Ferguson. At one point, Ferguson dropped him from the team, prompting the player to eventually come out.

“I never got a break from it, even when playing – it was very hard in those days.”

“I don’t think they diagnosed it until he was two-and-a-half years old. But you knew early something was wrong, but then you get the diagnosis,...