Ole Gunnar is highly revered among the Red faithful, and rightly so. He is a folklore legend at Manchester United and assumes a special place in the club’s history. Hardly would you find a United fan who has not heard of the deadly striker, after all, he helped create the most historic moment in the club’s prestigious heritage. He played at the Theater of Dreams for a decade, spending the best part of his career with the club. During this time, he amassed 366 appearances and scored 126 goals. A very nice return, given that he was primarily a second-choice for most of his career. He won 5 league titles, 2 FA Cups, 1 UEFA Champions League, and a host of other trophies at Manchester United. In Norway too, the man was well-loved, having played for Norwegian sides, Clausenengen and Molde before his transfer to England.
In his playing days, Ole was reputed for his unique ability to come off the bench and impact a game. The most popular of his goals off the bench was against Bayern Munich in the 1999 UEFA Champions League final, scoring the winning goal of the match in injury time. Ole was labeled a “super-sub” during his days at the club. What’s more, Ole had an excellent sense of goalscoring and could pick at the meanest defenses to snatched a goal, or even two, or even three. He had a superb sense of positioning, having the unique ability to be at the right spot in the box precisely at the right time.
Upon his retirement in 2007, he became the coach of the club’s reserve team. He then afterward moved to Norway in 2011 to manage Molde, winning a couple of trophies at his time with the club. In 2014, he proceeded to coach Cardiff City but could not stop the club from getting relegated. In 2018, Manchester United sacked Jose Mourinho, the current manager, and Solskjaer was appointed as interim manager. Upon a string of successful results, he was employed as a permanent manager.
Ian Macleay takes it upon himself to tell more of Solskjaer’s story and reveal facts that many did not know at all. As a sports writer, he conducts research, interviews and with perhaps little or no input from Solskjaer, he writes the biography of the baby-faced assassin. Ian is exhaustive in his telling of Ole’s story, providing an in-depth perspective on the deadly striker, as well as the man. He bares Ole’s highs and lows to the best of his knowledge and capability (perhaps?), and this results in an informative and entertaining book on a player that will forever be regarded in history. However, it is necessary to note that, for most parts, the book is a timeline of goals and results and does not offer deep insights into the man. But, it is the only biography available on Ole and, notwithstanding, contains some rare information.
Solskjaer was born on 26 February 1973 in Kristiansund, Norway, to Øyvind and Brita Solskjær. Ole’s family was humble and had a sporting background. Øyvind was a Greco-Roman wrestler who was champion of Norway for five years. Greco-Roman wrestling is a wrestling style that prohibits holds below the waist and is contested at the Summer Olympics. In Ole’s early childhood, his parents had wanted him to go into wrestling, just as his father, but the thin, frail-looking child could not make it. It was apparent wrestling was not his sport as he was always easily pinned down, and was being “tossed and thrown about too much.” This was highly discouraging, considering his father’s standing. Ole tried out the sport for three years, but little success was recorded, and his parents had to eventually agree the rough sport was not for him. His parents gave him the nickname “tiny Ole” due to this phase of his life.
Ian tells more of Solskjaer’s childhood. From a very early age, Ole’s love for football was easy to see. He loved football so much that he went to bed every night with a ball, but he could not practice. This love was birthed from his time watching football shows, vital among them Saturday’s BBC Match of The Day, a show that updated Norwegians of the latest action in the English League. Like most kids then, Ole admired Liverpool and was easily a fan. Every Sunday, having watched TV the day before, Ole would untiringly kick a ball around his home, either on the sand or the nearby gravel pitch. Seeing this much dedication, his parents were quick to support him, and at 8, he was enrolled in Clausengen, a local club. The club was then famous in the town for the knack to manage talented players and bring out the best in them. Ole’s stature again came into play, and there were fears he would not make it at the great sport. The young prospect’s talents were undeniable, but his size was a cause of concern. Many coaches saw he was good, but few were willing to take the gamble on him. Soon, however, Ole grew up naturally, and all fears were laid to rest as he added more weight.
Ian introduces Solskjaer’s career. At 17, the teenager made his professional debut for Clausenengen. With the club, he participated in the Otta Cup, a tournament that grew his fame as he scored 17 goals in 6 matches. In 1993, the club were Champions of the 3rd division and earned a promotion to the 2nd. division. In 1994, Ole’s last season with the club, he scored 31 goals, single-handedly helping the club to a sixth finish in the table. Overall, he scored 115 goals in 109 for Clausenengen. It is noted here that Ole completed a mandatory year’s national service in the Norwegian Army between 1992 and 1993. This service was pivotal to Ole because it helped him toughen up as well as develop properly.
Ian narrates Ole’s time at Molde, mainly based on game results. His time at the club was fleeting, but he ensured he made an impact at the end of it all. Solskjaer joined Molde in late 1994 and hence could not debut until April 1995. His move to Molde was only possible due to the unwavering belief of former Manchester City player, Age Hareide, in Ole’s abilities and talents. Age had been following the player’s development since his earliest days at Clausenengen. Then, Ole cost NOK 200, 000, a remarkable fee for a second-division player. Solskjaer made his first Molde appearance in a 6 – 0 rout over Brann, a game in which he scored 2 of the goals. In his second match for the club, Molde won an exciting match over Viking with a 5 – 4 scoreline. Ole scored a hat-trick in the match. His next goals came in May, a brace in a 2 – 1 victory over Hamarkameratene. Two days later, he scored his second Molde hat-trick in a 7 -1 landslide victory over Hodd.
The same year, Ole made his first European appearance in a qualification match for UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup against Dinamo-93 Minsk. The match ended in a 1 – 1 draw. In the return leg, he scored another goal in a 2 – 1 win that subsequently qualified the club for the European tournament. Luck ran out on the team in the next match; however, as they were drawn against Paris Saint-German (PSG), losing 3 -2 at home and 3 – 0 at away. The club finished second in the Tippeligaen. Ole netted 20 goals in 26 appearances in his debut season with Molde. The strike partnership between Ole and the two other forwards in the team, Arild Stavrum, and Ole Bjørn Sundgot, was fantastic too, and the trio was nicked “The Three S’s” because their surnames started with ‘S.’
Solskjaer started the 1996 season with a bang, scoring a hat-trick in the second match of the season in an 8 – 0 dismemberment of Moss. The team lost the first match, however. In the following match, Solskjaer scored a brace, and soon, the world was taking note. The German club, Hamburg, as well as Italian club, Cagliari, signified interest in the red-hot striker at this time, but no deal was forthcoming. The manager, Age, recognized that Ole was too good to keep plying his trade at Molde and made him available to Everton and his former side, Manchester City, for a mere £1.2 million, but none of the clubs was willing to take the risk. At about this time, Manchester United had noticed the striker and proposed a transfer for £1.5 million, and this effectively ended all interests from other clubs. In his two seasons at Molde, Solskjaer scored 41 goals in 54 matches. He played his last game for the club on 21 July 1996.
Ian tells of Ole’s decade at Manchester United, the club at which (to many) his career actually started. The absence of input from the player himself is not encouraging as there are no personal moments of Ole basking in the euphoria of this transfer, and hence, the book does not tell readers what the player felt. Solskjaer was a shock signing at the club as he was hitherto relatively unknown outside Norway. Furthermore, a deal had been undergoing for Blackburn Rovers striker, Alan Shearer, who eventually moved to Newcastle instead. Manchester United had strikers, Eric Cantina and Andy Cole, as at then, and it was widely expected that he would be used sparingly since the two were established players. However, all thoughts of Ole playing second-fiddle (or was it third?) were soon erased with the eye-catching displays the new man was delivering. Soon, the young Norwegian would seize the Premier League by storm.
Ole’s first goal for Manchester United came in a victory over Blackburn Rovers. He was a substitute for this match. His first start was against Nottingham Forest, a game in which he opened the scoring in the 22nd minute. The same year, he scored his first goal in Europe for the club in a 2 – 0 win over Rapid Wien. Tottenham Hotspur was soon at the receiving end of his ingenuity as he netted his first brace for the club against the North Londoners. He followed the performance with another brace in a victory over Sunderland, and sure enough, Ole was the name on everyone’s lips. With such outstanding performances, Alan Shearer’s decision to move to Newcastle was becoming more laughable. The team was, however, unsuccessful in Europe, crashing out to Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League semifinal. The club compensated for this loss with the English League, clinching the trophy courtesy of Newcastle’s draw with West Ham. Ole scored his third brace of the season against Leicester City in a 2 – 2 draw in early May. In this first season, Solskjaer scored 18 goals in 33 appearances (8 of which he started from the bench). He was the club’s highest goalscorer for the campaign too. He was nicknamed “the baby-faced assassin” due to his youthful looks and deadly finishing.
The next season, Solskjaer continued his brilliance in front of the goal, and all talks about him being a one-season-wonder were quickly dismissed. Despite coming off the bench, he netted his first against Chelsea in a 2 – 2 draw in September. He scored his first brace of the season against Sheffield Wednesday and his second brace against familiar foes, Blackburn Rovers. His third brace came against Walsall in the 4th round of the FA Cup. In Europe, he started in the second leg of the quarter-final fixture against Monaco and scored to level scores at 1 – 1. However, the club could not score more and was consequently eliminated on away goals. This season, the club lost the league crown to Arsenal by a single point. Ole could only score six goals in 22 appearances, of which 15 were starts.
Ian is exhaustive in telling the 1998/1999 season and understandably so given Solskjaer’s defining role in the club’s unprecedented success. In 1999, Manchester United won the treble; the FA Cup, the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League. This was an achievement that no club had ever accomplished in the history of European football – never before in Spain, Italy, Germany, or England. The success of the club this season was ironic, and even more laudable, given that Arsenal were the new glowing boys of England, held the Premier League crown, and was playing a fascinating style of football. Per Europe, Real Madrid were the reigning Champions and the clear favorites. This season, none expected much success from Manchester United, except clearly the players? As usual, Ole begins the season in blistering form, scoring a brace against Charlton Athletic. Another brace came in the League Cup against Nottingham Forest to help the club move to the next round. Again, Tottenham got on the receiving end as he scored his third brace against the team. In January 1999, United faced Liverpool in the FA Cup fourth round. United were a goal down from the third minute, and it seemed the club was getting knocked out until the 81st minute when Ole was introduced. Soon, the team leveled scores, and in the 90th minute, the baby-faced assassin stepped up to net the winner. This was just one of United’s many comebacks that season.
In the following month, Solskjaer came on in the 71st minute and incredibly scored four goals in 12 minutes. Nottingham Forest were the victims this time. United left it very late to secure the Premier League trophy this time, having to wait until the last day of the league to win Tottenham 2 – 1, and even this was a comeback. Six days later, Solskjaer started the FA Cup final against Newcastle, playing a pivotal role in the 2 – 0 result that secured the double. Four days later, the club was playing the final of the UEFA Champions League against Bayern Munich. There were several stars that night at Camp Nou, but the final hour belonged to Solskjaer. Bayern was a goal ahead from the sixth minute, scoring through a Mario Basler free-kick. After that, United labored, barely able to make any meaningful attempt. This was understandable, given that the team was without its two finest players. On came Solskjaer in the 81st minute, and soon, the team started to flow. The equalizer came in the 36th second of stoppage time through Ted Sheringham. Somehow, after the following kick-off, United forced a corner, and everyone waited with bated breaths. Beckham took the corner, Sheringham nodded, and when it looked like the ball was going out, Ole appeared and, suddenly, it was utter silence, then maddening shouts. The man from Norway had done it.
The rest of the book fleets through Solskjaer’s time at Manchester United, making mentions only of the crucial matches in each season and the player’s extraordinary exploits. In the following season, he won the Intercontinental Cup against Palmeras. Then, in December the same year, he scored 4 in a 5 – 1 win over Everton. These accounts go on until Ole’s battle with injuries began and persisted until he was forced to retire in 2007. Special mention is given to Ugo Ehiogu, a Middlesbrough player that accidentally broke Ole’s cheekbone. As at the time of retirement, Ole held the record for most goals scored as a substitute for Manchester United with 28 goals. This record still stands.
Ian acknowledges that Solskjaer was very faithful to the club, too, and perhaps that was what endeared him to the Red Devils lovers so much. He stoutly refused a move from the club even when the club had accepted a £5.5 million bid from Tottenham in 1998, choosing instead to fight for his spot in the team. He was also willing to put himself on the line for the club, committing a deliberate foul that got him booked to stop a promising Tottenham’s attack that looked likely to result in a goal and giving Arsenal the league title. This was in 1997, and although Arsenal eventually won the trophy by a single point, it was another instance of his commitment.
Ole’s time with the Norwegian national team is covered too. He made his debut in a friendly match against Jamaica in 1995. He appeared in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000. An impressive career considering Norway’s football culture. He gathered 67 appearances between 1995 to 2007, scoring a decent number of 23 goals. Ole’s last match for the national team was in a 2 – 1 defeat to Croatia. Upon his retirement, he was offered the role of the manager of the Norway national team but had turned the role down.
Ian tells of Solskjaer’s career as a coach, too, but again, the telling lacked Ole’s perspective, and it ended up being only about goals, results, and third-party analysis of his coaching methods. Ole signed for Molde in 2010 on a 4-year-deal that would see him as the head coach of the club from 2011 to 2014. In his time at the club, Ole guided the team to two Tippeligaens in two consecutive seasons. In his last season, meanwhile, the team ended 6th, a commendable end considering that they had managed only 7 points in the first 11 matches. (Check out the latest price on Amazon here)
By 2014, Solskjaer’s next club was Cardiff City, a club he could only lead to relegation, but he had only signed in January anyway. He left the club September same year and returned to Molde, where he signed a three-and-a-half-year contract that would see him at the helm of affairs from 2015 to 2018. Throughout his three-year stay at Molde, the club failed to secure Amy trophy, ending 6th, 5th, and 2nd in his 1st, 2nd, and 3rd season, respectively.
The last pages of the book see Ole returning to Manchester United as a caretaker manager, having taken over from Jose Mourinho in the middle of the season and guiding the club to a stunning run of 8 unbeaten matches.
Ian has done very well with this biography, considering the limitations he encountered. There are some factual mistakes; however, that suggests that the research process was hurried or incomplete. Overall, the book is a good read and should be read by all football fans, particularly core fans of OGS. The book is also the best bet for any young United fan curious to know what the club’s current coach was during his days.
Similar Books To Read
If you enjoyed Sir Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography, then here are other books you might appreciate too:
- Sir Matt Busby: The Father of Manchester United.
- Roy Keane: The Autobiography
- Growing Up With the Trinity: An Englishman, a Scotsman, and an Irishman Walked Onto a Football Pitch…by Brendon Mcguire (Out Sept 2019).
- My Manchester United Years by Bobby Charlton.
- Gentleman John: The biography of Johnny Carey. Manchester United and Ireland Legend by Cavanagh MBE, Mr Roy and Mr Carl Abbott.
- Denis Law: My Life in Football (MUFC) by Denis Law and Ivan Ponting.
- From the Goal line to Touchline Kindle Edition by Jack Crompton.
- Harry Stafford: Manchester United’s First Captain Marvel by Ean Gardiner and Mark Wylie
- The Man Who Kept The Red Flag Flying: Jimmy Murphy – The Family Authorised Life Story by Wayne Barton.
- Class of 92 (MUFC) by Ian Marshall.
- Cantona: The Rebel Who Would Be King Philippe Auclair.
- Giggs: The Autobiography Joe Lovejoy.
- Duncan Edwards: The Greatest (MUFC) by James Leighton.
- Robbo – My Autobiography: An extraordinary career by Bryan Robson.
- Red, White & Blackmore by Clayton Blackmore, Wayne Barton, et al.
