Scholes delivers chastening verdict on 36-year-old Henderson after Chelsea's defeat at Brentford

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has said he was shocked by Jordan Henderson starting in the Premier League at 36, insisting 'he's a last-20-minutes man'.

Scholes, 51, took to his podcast, The Good The Bad and The Football, to reflect on his surprise at Xabi Alonso's decision to start the ex– Liverpool captain in Chelsea's 3-0 loss at Brentford on Friday night.

The 11-time Premier League winner said: 'We've been there at 35, 36, 37, you're a million miles away from where you should be. You can use your experience to get through games, but these days it's more of a young man's game and you will get found out starting a game.'

Henderson joined Chelsea as a free agent in the summer and most assumed he would appear sporadically, providing the Chelsea dressing room with much-needed leadership and experience.

A guiding light off the field with England at the World Cup, Henderson was trusted to start for his new side at the G-tech and had a poor performance against his old club, provoking questions about whether he is still able to perform at the highest level.

Scholes was adamant that he is not, saying: 'I never expected him to play a Premier League game. Playing at that age in the Premier League you get found out.'

Scholes said he could empathise with Henderson, saying he knew when he started slowing down and losing the edge to play in the Premier league.

The midfield legend, who won everything available to him at club level, said: 'I remember I did it against City, I might have been 36, the manager actually picked me and I thought I shouldn't be playing this game, I shouldn't be starting this game. I never touched the ball. I just knew it was too much for me.'

Henderson may be having similar thoughts after a poor Chelsea bow but he has always been credited for his work rate and professionalism and may yet have something left in the tank.

Yet Scholes added: 'I never expected him to be starting a Premier League game. I don't care how old you are, how much you look after yourself, playing in the Premier League at that age you've got to be a machine, you've got to be athletic. You don't get away with it, you get found out.'

Under new owners BlueCo, Chelsea have almost exclusively signed younger players on long-term deals. In an about turn this summer, they opted for experience.

Henderson, as well as 35-year-old Danny Welbeck, have added plenty of Premier League know-how to a young Chelsea squad and were clearly major targets for new boss Alonso in the summer.

Scholes, though, feels the Spaniard may have tipped the scales too far saying: 'When you're playing another, Danny (Welbeck) at centre forward - there's two in your team -  you're thinking, bloody hell.'

Welbeck, who has three Carabao Cup goals this season, played alongside Scholes at Manchester United and won a Premier League title there but that didn't spare him from criticism from his old team-mate.