"I'd say most of the time things are . . . lively [in the dressing room]. "They [Rooney and Ronaldo] are 20 and 21 and we have signed two players even younger in Nani and Anderson. They're just happy all the time, not like us miserable old gits.
"I think they already understand that [they are lucky]. We've got great young players at United, earning a lot of money, not like young players have done in the past. But they all seem level-headed and I don't think there's one who gets carried away. If they did, they'd have the manager to answer to and that's not something they'd want.
"I think the ability scores over other clubs. I think the younger players we've got are just better than any of the other teams'. What they do on the pitch on a Wednesday and Saturday is better than the young lads in other teams.
"You don't even take it year by year as an older player at United, you take it game by game," Scholes said. "You have to prove in each game that you're good enough to play in the next one. With the quality in our squad, the pressure is on. At any time you could have a bad game and Darren Fletcher or John O'Shea could come into the team. Michael Carrick has obviously been in the team, now we have Owen Hargreaves. Ryan can play central midield. There are so many players who can play there, they probably won't miss you when you're gone.
"Ask any attacking player how they want to play and they'll say they just want to attack. And seeing the lads like Rooney and Ronaldo and the energy they bring keeps you fresh. It's the talent of them as well. It's great to be a part of a team that can really rip sides apart like they did most of last season.
"I've known Brian Kidd a long time and he always used to tell me to enjoy it because it would fly by. I never believed him but now I know what he's talking about."
And after his playing career:
"Not really [thought about it]. You're so busy playing and training there's not much time. A lot of experienced people do say I should start but I just want to concentrate on staying fit and playing well. When I come to the end I'll decide then. I don't think I'm the manager type.
"I'm not surprised that Roy Keane has done so well so quickly because he always looked cut out for the job. He proved last season that it was a doddle for him and, hopefully, he can do well again this year."
Not playing for England:
"It's helped me quite a bit. It's always nice to have those 10-day breaks when the internationals come along, you get a nice rest. In the summer too. In tournament years you're away for a good four-to-six weeks, which can be tiring. You end up with two or three weeks off and in the last couple of summers I've managed more like four to six weeks off. Yeah, I've felt better for that. I'm glad I made the decision.
"At the time I wasn't enjoying playing for England and felt I'd be better concentrating on United. At the minute I feel okay and would like to think I can play a bit longer than if I was playing internationals but time will tell.
"I don't know why, I probably wasn't playing very well and just stopped enjoying England. And I like being at home. It was an awful lot of time away from home and, for me, there's nothing better than Manchester."