Gary Neville has revealed he thought Paul Scholes would never make it as a professional footballer.

The pair are synonymous with the golden era of Manchester United prodigies — dubbed the Class of 92 — which formed the backbone of the most vaunted side at the turn of the century.

Along with Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Nicky Butt and Phil Neville, the duo rose through the ranks to conquer both England and Europe in one of the most iconic teams of a generation.

Gary Neville revealed he didn't think Paul Scholes had the physical ability to make it in football

Neville (back row, 2nd L) and Scholes (front row, 2nd R) in United's youth team in 1992

Neville remembers Scholes being small and slight and not having much strength or energy

Ryan Giggs, the Neville brothers, Nicky Butt, Scholes and David Beckham were part of the best ever youth side to emerge from Manchester United's famed academy

Given Scholes's prodigious talent with the ball at his feet, it almost seemed given that he was a wonderkid while plotting his way through United's academy ranks.

Neville, however, has shed light on the former midfielder's struggles during their formative years together at the Old Trafford club.

Speaking on the 'Quickly Kevin, Will He Score?' podcast, Neville said: 'If you said to me at 12, 13, Scholesy would be one of the greatest players... how?

'He was so small, so slight. He didn't have great energy. He had no strength. You could knock him off the ball because he was really slight.

'He had asthma. He couldn't really run very far. He wasn't quick, he never beat you for pace.

'So you've got to imagine at 12, 13 you're playing against Nicky Butt, who was an animal. He'd run all over you, the power, the strength, he'd kick you, he'd pass the ball, he'd run forward.

'You saw Ben Thornley beating players, quick, nimble, agile. You saw Becks, coming in, best striker of a ball you ever saw, whipping the crosses in.

'So you saw qualities in every single player. And then you look at Scholesey, obviously he was tidy on the ball, but you think how can he? He can't cope. Physically he can't cope with everything that's going on around him.'

Eric Harrison, United youth team coach, with United's youth team (Scholes 3rd R, Neville 5L)

(L-R) Scholes, Butt, Chris Casper and Neville win a trophy with England's youth team

FROM YOUTH-TEAM OUTCAST TO OLD TRAFFORD LEGEND Premier League: 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13 FA Cup: 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04 Football League Cup: 2008–09, 2009–10 FA Charity Shield/FA Community Shield: 1996, 1997, 2003, 2008, 2010 UEFA Champions League: 1998–99, 2007–08 Intercontinental Cup: 1999 FIFA Club World Cup: 2008 (Not to mention 66 caps for England!) Advertisement

It's a startling revelation from Neville, given Scholes, for many years, was one of Sir Alex Ferguson's first names on the team sheet.

It wasn't always the case, however, especially during their age-group years. Neville went on to reveal Scholes was often overlooked in their junior county squads.

'He sort of didn't really get into the county team,' Neville added. 'Didn't really play a lot of games. In the first year in 1992 he didn't even play in the youth team.

'All of a sudden the year after, I think that was the point where he stopped drinking beer, and stopped eating pies on a Friday.

'The transformation in two or three years was unbelievable.

'The club saw him as a player, though. Brian Kidd adored him. Sir Alex said "if he doesn't become a football player we can all pack it in", and that was when he was 18.

'In our youth team in '92, it was Nicky Butt in central midfield with Simon Davies. It was Ben Thornley, Keith Gillespie and Becks. Four of those five – Scholesey never got a look in. I don't think he was on the bench in the '92 final.

'So that was the one to me that was the biggest shock.'

Neville revealed Brian Kidd (L) always though highly of Scholes in the United youth ranks

He went on to win 25 trophies during his Manchester United career, including the 1999 FA Cup

Scholes lifts the Champions League in Moscow in 2008 after missing out on the final in 1999

QUICKLY KEVIN, WILL HE SCORE? To listen to the 'Quickly Kevin, Will He Score?' podcast, you can click here. Advertisement

In the ensuing years between that 1992 final and Scholes's eventual retirement in 2013, he lifted a remarkable 25 trophies at Old Trafford and won 66 England caps.

His admirers span far and wide, Real Madrid icon Zinedine Zidane and former Barcelona captain Xavi are just two legends of the game to have given Scholes their highest praise.

And Neville himself even thinks Scholes is the best he has taken the field with. 'I get to the end of my career and I say he's the best player that I ever played with,' Neville added.

'So you think of that jump of being a 13, 14-year-old when you first see him. Small kid with no strength, not great stamina, can't really run that fast, to becoming the best player I've ever played with – that's a big shift.

'The club themselves saw the potential, the talent.

'I remember when he was 16 he was in the B team and he played a couple of games at left back. It was too much for him in central midfield.

'The club believed in him, knew he had growth and incredible awareness. But it's no good being aware if the pitch is muddy and you've got two 6ft 2ins, 15-year-olds against you. Awareness doesn't really count. The balls stuck.

'It's who's the strongest to get it out. And this little kid from Middleton couldn't get it out of the mud so put him at left back, there's a bit of grass over there.'

As history has told, all he needed was a bit of untarnished grass to prove what he could really do.