Man United's Robin van Persie thanks Paul Scholes for his hat-trick
Dutchman says the veteran midfielder was man of the match for his deft passing skills
Hat-trick hero Robin van Persie was quick to salute Paul Scholes after the duo inspired Manchester United to a dramatic 3-2 victory against Southampton.
Van Persie took his tally to four goals in two starts for United since his £24 million (HK$295.2 million) move from Arsenal, with his stoppage-time winner at St Mary's taking him to 100 Premier League goals.
The Dutch forward's heroics proved United should be able to survive the four-week absence of the injured Wayne Rooney, even though he failed to convert a second-half penalty.
But Van Persie insisted the most significant contribution had come from veteran midfielder Scholes, who produced a typically influential display after coming on as a 61st-minute substitute shortly after Morgan Schneiderlin had headed the home side into a 2-1 lead.
"I have to say a big thank-you to Paul Scholes. When he came on everything started ticking. Every single pass he hit was the right one. Everyone felt that, I certainly did," Van Persie said.
"He hit a couple of unbelievable passes over 30 metres. With him you are always on your toes because anything can happen with his qualities. For me, he is the man of the match."