Alex Ferguson has no doubt Paul Scholes will continue to be a massive influence at Manchester United after handing the veteran midfielder a contract extension.
Scholes suffered a major blow on Tuesday when he suffered knee ligament damage against Aalborg which will rule him out until mid-December.
He is 34 next month, and his contract had been due to expire in the summer and youngsters such as Anderson, Darren Fletcher and John O'Shea are all desperate for a chance to shine.
Add to that the experience in central midfield of Michael Carrick and Owen Hargreaves and suddenly Scholes' future might have been open to question.
But Ferguson has no worries for Scholes and has moved quickly to quash any uncertainty by agreeing a new one-year deal with the former England star.
‘I am very confident Paul will be back,’ said the United boss.
‘He can play for at least another year. I have no fears about that.
‘He has the same characteristics as Gary Neville, who has just come back after 18 months out.
‘They look after themselves and you have to admire that perseverance and determination.’
Ferguson knows Scholes has already bounced back from a far worse problem.
Three years ago, it was feared the no-nonsense Salford-born midfielder might never play again after suffering a serious eye injury at Birmingham which kept him out for four months.
Initially, the Red Devils struggled to identify the source of a problem that left Scholes with permanent double vision.
Eventually though, they found the right treatment and Scholes made it back for the final game of the season against Charlton, the last time United ended a campaign without a trophy.
Since then, Ferguson's side have claimed two more Premier League titles, taking Scholes' personal tally to eight.
In May he finally got his hands on the Champions League trophy having missed out in 1999 through suspension.
‘Paul has come back repeatedly,’ said Ferguson.
‘He will be working away in the gym so that when he comes back he will be ready.
‘He is proof that if you look after yourself you can carry on playing and be rewarded at a club of this size.
‘He is 34 now and he has been here since he was 14. That tells you the desire and the ability he has to stay at the top.’
Like Scholes, Darren Fletcher is a one-club man, and like his elder team-mate, he has also agreed a new contract which will keep him at Old Trafford until June 2012.
Although he has rarely been a member of Ferguson's first-choice side, he is an invaluable figure in the United squad.
Denied his debut as a 16-year-old because he was still at school, Fletcher was heavily linked with a move to Birmingham last season, where he could have joined old Scotland boss Alex McLeish.
However, the 24-year-old chose to stay at Old Trafford, where his value was emphasised at the start of this season when he scored against Newcastle before getting the vital winner at Portsmouth.
‘Darren is in the same vein as Paul, Ryan Giggs and Wes Brown in that he is a long-serving member of the team,’ said Ferguson.
‘His consistency and level-headed approach is a great attribute and we are all delighted he has signed a new contract.’
Fletcher added: ‘When you play at such a great club with a great team you always want to be a part of that.
‘The spirit here is amazing and I am happy that I can play my part in achieving more success.
