Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – renowned former player and a present-day manager, hails from the land of the midnight sun – Norway. As a player, he has had an incredible career and was popular for his professionalism, goal-scoring abilities, and his impact off the bench. As a coach, Ole retains his professionalism and is tactically very astute.
Playing Career
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is arguably the greatest player to have come out of Norway, gracing Norwegian clubs Clausenengen and Molde before moving on to Manchester United in the year 1996. He was nicknamed ‘the baby-faced assassin’ as he was very formidable in front of goal despite his innocent looks. Solskjaer’s most memorable moment in football came in injury time of the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final, where he scored the winning last-minute goal against Bayern Munich, completing a remarkable comeback and winning The Treble for United.
Ole Solskjaer’s Old Trafford career started with him proving that he was born to be a super-sub. The Norwegian striker scored on bis Manchester United debut against Blackburn, just six (6) minutes after coming off the bench.
Solskjaer went on to record 277 appearances for his clubs, scoring 122 goals, as well as 67 appearances and 23 goals for the Norwegian National team.
Coaching Career
Solskjaer started his coaching career with the Manchester United Reserves team and has gone on to manage Molde (2011–2014), Cardiff City (2014), Clausenengen U19 (2014–2016), and Molde (presently). With an overall winning percentage of 52.7%, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can be considered a decent coach.
Early Life
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was born on the 26thof February 1973 in Kristiansund, Norway. He was born to Norway’s professional Greco-Roman wrestling champion Oivind Solskjaer and his wife Brita. Being born into the sporting family, Ole tried to immerse himself in the sports – specifically, Greco-Roman wrestling between ages 8 and 10, but after being thrown around multiple times and suffering injuries decided it wasn’t for him. Growing up, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had a small frame and by only started developing fully after his teen years and this was one of the reasons for his refusal to tow the wrestling path. Ole instead took a likening to football and decided to try it out.
Like most football enthusiasts, Ole Gunnar enrolled in a football academy in Kristiansund, and joined the local team Clausenengen where he performed brilliantly. Playing at Clausenengen in Norway literally brought Ole to the limelight. While the crowds were fewer than those in larger western club stadiums, it helped him gain traction. It was in Clausenengen Ole Gunnar scored his maximum number of goals on the pitch (14) during a quarter-final in of the Norwegian championship events. However, his playing career exponentially took off when he left Clausenengen for Molde. During his first appearance as a new skipper at Clausenengen, Ole scored two goals and in his next appearance scored a hat-trick leading to a rush of interests in this young star from teams around the world.
Personal Life
Ole is married to Silje, and the union has produced three children. The former Manchester United player and ‘super-sub’ got married to his long-time partner in 2005. During his time in England, Ole lived in Bramhall, with his family.
Ole Gunnar, having managed the Manchester United reserve team for nearly 3 years felt it was right to move to Norway when Molde beckoned. According to the Red Devils legend – Ole Gunnar, it wasn’t just about the financial gains of handling a top-flight club in Norway; he wanted his kids to have a Norwegian childhood. Having spent some time in Bramhall, it was a different setting completely when the family moved to their new home in Kristiansund, Norway.
Ole has three kids; Noah, Karna, and Elijah. To Noah Solskjaer, 18, who is currently playing for Norwegian club, Kristiansund BK, his father is second best to Wayne Rooney, and the family has often joked about Noah’s choice of favorite. The former Manchester United player has often agreed there are many things he’s grateful for including the opportunity for his kids to watch him play for the premier league club. This might not seem like much to a lot of people, but to Ole, it was crucial. His father was a decorated professional wrestler, but the former Manchester United striker never got the chance to witness his father fight professionally. He only had newspaper clips of those memorable fights. So, it was a thing of joy for Noah, who was six at the time, to watch him play for the red devils against Newcastle United.
Love interest and marriage
Ole is married to the love of his life and the mother of his three children Silje Solskjaer.
Children
Solskjaer’s marriage to Slje has produced three wonderful kids – a girl named Karna, and two boys named Noah and Elijah.
Interests
Solskjaer is a dedicated sports enthusiast very friendly and social man. His social nature and exploits in the Norwegian football helped him to achieve the Royal Norwegian Order of Olav. After claiming the award in 2008, he remains the youngest Norwegian to clinch the royal knighthood.
Controversies and Events
On Solskjaer’s appointment as Cardiff coach, he encountered a few controversies. He had a fall out with Vincent Tan, the club owner. Cardiff was on the brink of being relegated but Solskjaer took the challenge to make Cardiff a better club according to him. However, Tan said it was expedient that the Norwegian keep the club from relegation in order not to ruin the reputation he had created for himself. It was considered a pummeling by Ole but he didn’t seem to care because all he wanted to do was excel.
“Do you think I really care about my image and reputation? That’s completely the wrong attitude to go into the job. I don’t care about my own image. My job is to make Cardiff City a better football club. It is not about enhancing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ‘the brand’. That should be clear enough.”
Those were his exact words in response to Tan.
When he couldn’t help Cardiff stay in the premier league, Solskjaer left after just a year and went back to his former club, Molde FK.
Besides the fallout with Cardiff owner, Solskjaer enjoyed a glistening career with Manchester United especially and one of the biggest events in his career was when he scored the winner in the Champions’ League Final game against Bayern Munich in 1999. Solskjaer’s 92nd-minute toe poke was “all” United needed to clinch the title from a game in which they had trailed for a longer time. He celebrated by sliding on his knees and picked up an injury in the process.
Professional Career
Early Beginnings
Ole Gunnar who was born in Kristiansund, Møre og Romsdal, after a successful one-year national service in the Norwegian Army decided to focus on his football career and signed with Clausenengen, a third division Norwegian team. Following his signing, Solskjærperformed exceptionally well in the Otta Cup as a 17-year old, having seventeen (17) goals scored in six matches he featured in. Ole spent five (5) years in Clausenengen and had impressive stats during this period. He averaged more than one goal in each game all through. He was the highest goal scorer of his team in the 1994 Norwegian Second Division, scoring 31 of the 47 goals of Clausenengen.
On the first of January 1995, ahead of the start of a new season, Åge Hareidewho was the manager of Molde FK, the first-tier side of Norway signed Ole for NOK200, 000. Molde’s signing of the ‘baby-faced assassin’ – Ole Gunnar saw the youngster do what he does best, rain goals. After his signing, Ole scored 20 goals for his team during the 1995 Tippeligaen. In 38 matches he played for Molde, he scored 31 goals which prompted interest from Italian club Cagliari as well as the German team Hamburger SV. With his goal-scoring streak, the then manager of Molde Åge Hareide thought either Everton or Manchester City would be willing to part with £1.2 million for the stellar forward; however, none of the teams were willing to take that risk with ‘rising’ talent. Manchester United, however, submitted a larger bid £1.5 million for Ole Gunnar during Euro 1996 which collapsed the interests of Hamburger and Cagliari, and whose offer Molde accepted.
Journey to Man United
Ole Gunnar Solskjær became a member of the Manchester United team officially on the 29thof July 1996. His joining of the team was somewhat surprising as he was relatively unknown to the rest of the football world outside of his homeland. More so, Manchester United was on the hunt for England and Blackburn Rovers striker, Alan Shearer when the deal for Ole became official. Alan Shearer later signed for Newcastle United at a jaw-breaking world record of £15 million at the time.
Ole was the only striker bought by England giant – Manchester United that year. Due to him being relatively unknown, it was expected that Ole wouldn’t be getting much playtime but rather come in as a backup for Andy Cole and Eric Cantona with first-team opportunities arising occasionally. However, this wasn’t the case as within weeks of Ole’s arrival at Old Trafford; it became clear that he would be a major player in the first team a lot sooner than anticipated. Also, it would soon dawn on the entire premier league faithful that Ole was one of the biggest bargains in the Premier League of the season.
Upon his arrival, Ole was issued with a number 20 shirt. This number became his personal squad number all through his Manchester United career. Ole Solskjaer was a goal scorer by default, his debut at Manchester United (as a substitute) saw him scoring his first goal for the team against Blackburn Rovers. In his first season at United, Ole Solskjaer found the back of the net 18 times in the Premier League and ultimately helped the red devils seal the deal by winning the premier league title. Following his fierce finishing, combined with his youthful look, he was nicknamed “Baby-faced Assassin” by the British media.
‘Super-sub’ that’s what Ole is best remembered for, due to his penchant for entering a match late usually as a substitute and finding the back of the net on most times. According to Manchester United legend and coach at the time – Sir Alex Ferguson, Ole Solskjaer was usually sitting on the bench during the game and making mental notes about the game without taking his eye off the pitch. Solskjaer once affirmed the statement by Ferguson saying he had to think about himself and how he could make the most impact with severe damage to the opposition once he’s brought in. He added that he was majorly sitting and studying the entire games without worrying about the strikers, rather his focus would be on the defenders and full-backs, studying their flaws.
Goal Scoring Season
The 1998-99 seasons saw Ole showcase some of his best performance ever. The United forward showed his class in the match with Nottingham Forest where he came in as a sub and found the back of the net four (4) times in the last 12 minutes of the game, ending with Manchester United beating Nottingham Forest 8-1. In another match during that season he scored four goals for United against Everton, United winning the game (5-1) at Old Trafford.
The 1999 UEFA Champions League Final was one of those times he displayed excellence on the pitch, helping Manchester United win against Bayern Munich with a stoppage-time goal. That is undeniably one of the factors that helped the Norwegian secure a spot for himself in the united folklore as he helped the team win an unprecedented Treble.
His Love for United
Ole Gunnar’s stellar performance on the pitch during the 1998-99 seasons for Manchester United brought scouts keeping a close eye and interests being shown by many other top clubs. He was, however, not interested in moving from his beloved United. Tottenham Hotspur’s bid for him was accepted by Manchester United but Ole who was content with his position refused the offer by the management.
Another time where Ole proved his love for United was the match between Newcastle United and Manchester United in 1998. Towards the end of the match with both team tied at 1-1, Robert Lee of Newcastle found a clear goal-scoring opportunity and kept his pace – unopposed – near the goal of the red devils, bearing in mind that Manchester United needed at least a draw in the match to push ahead for the race of the title, Ole Gunnar did the unthinkable. Running the entire field, he proceeded to prevent the goal by committing a ‘professional foul’ against Robert thus preventing Newcastle from topping United. He knew that this would ultimately land him serious repercussions including a red card and suspension for other upcoming matches but he went ahead it with anyway. Many United supporters regarded this as the extent to which Ole Gunnar Solskjaer loved the club and put it first before his own personal interest.
2001-02 seasons saw Ole Gunnar Solskjaer land a starting position after a few years of his stellar experience as a super-sub. The Norwegian forward chance came with a pairing with teammate and Dutch striker Rutgerus Johannes Martinus “Ruud” Van Nistelrooy. This interesting combo meant Andrew Cole and Dwight Yorke stayed on the bench. Not very pleased with low playtime, the duo Andrew Cole and Dwight Yorke left Old Trafford, so by 2002-03 seasons, Ole had only Van Nistelrooy and Diego Forlan to challenge for a chance to be among the starting eleven. However, Alex Ferguson was determined to have Van Nistelrooy pair with Paul Scholes which meant limited opportunities for the Norwegian striker.
Sitting on the bench and only coming up as a super-sub once in a while, Ole had another break when teammate David Beckham sadly picked up an injury that left the team in need of a capable striker and Ferguson decided he was well suited for the job. He played on the right and delivered crisp crosses across the field and also managed to find the back of the net many times, scoring 16 goals in total that season. His prowess on the right side of the field made Ferguson strategically put him there during important matches like the match against Arsenal as well as the Champions League quarter-final which was against top contender Real Madrid. During this time, Beckham was left to recover and watch from the bench.
Injuries
For Solskjaer, the 2003/04 English Premier League season began excellently as he was handed a regular starting place as a right-winger at United. However, several weeks into the new season and the Norwegian unfortunately picked up a career-threatening knee injury in their game against Panathinaikos FC on 16th September 2003. It was after scoring the third goal in the 5-0 thumping of the Greek side that Solskjaer was replaced due to the injury. He went on to be behind the sidelines for 5 months before making a return in the FA Cup semi-final game against Arsenal FC in February 2004, where he was named ‘Man of the Match.’ He also played a pivotal role in United’s FA Cup triumph in 2004.
The nagging knee injury meant Solskjaer would be persuaded to get under the knife once again in August 2004. This resulted in him missing in action throughout the 2004/05 season. His season-long absence had caused the club to find younger replacements for the 32-year old as he struggled to regain fitness.
However, sentiments aroused by his loyalty to United saw fans rooting for his return by adding a banner that read “20 Legend” (Ole wore the number 20 jersey for the club) to the list of banners at the Stretford end of the Old Trafford stadium. He returned the favor by becoming the patron of MUST (Manchester United Supporters Trust) which was hitherto called Shareholders United.
Return from Injury
On 5th December 2005, Solskjaer returned to action for United in a reserves team game against Liverpool. The game recorded a turnout of 2,738 spectators and was believed to be more than the average mark for reserve game attendance.
Solskjaer’s journey to fitness was slow yet steady, making several reserve team appearances before coming off the bench in a first-team game on 28th December against Birmingham City. He was handed his first-team start in the FA Cup, a game against Burton Albion.
However, he experienced a little setback when in a game against Middleborough in the EPL; he collided with Ugochukwu Ehiogu and broke his cheekbone. It was sheer determination and desire that saw Ole feature for United against Sunderland, despite facing the risk of inaction for the remaining season.
The 2006 summer pre-season tour was very exciting for Solskjaer as he impressed Sir Alex Ferguson who didn’t hide his admiration for the Norwegian. On 23 August 2006, Ole featured and scored against Charlton Athletic in what would be his first premiership involvement of the season and his first goal for United in 3 years! In the post-match interview, Ferguson said “It was a great moment for Ole, United fans everywhere, the players and the staff. Ole has been through a torrid time with injuries for the last two years, but he’s persevered and never lost faith and has got his repayment tonight. Everyone is over the moon for him.”
Consistently impressive in every game, Solskjaer found the net once again on 13th September in a Champions League game against Scottish club Celtic FC in the group stage of the European Champions League. His goal would turn to be decisive and his first goal at Old Trafford after his injury. On 1st October, he was on target twice again in the Premier League as United cruised to a 2-0 home victory over Newcastle United.
The real goal poacher in Solskjaer seemed to be re-emerging as he continually found his name on the scoresheet for Manchester United. He scored in an away game against Wigan Athletic to seal off a 3-1 victory, scoring the opening goal against Crewe Alexandra on 0ctober 25, yet another against Wigan Athletic on December 26 and yet another opening goal in United’s 3-2 victory over Reading 4 days later. On January 7, 2007, in United’s FA Cup game against Aston Villa, Ole came off the bench to hand his team a last-gasp winner as they cruised past their opponents 2-1 in the third round.
Solskjaer missed out in action for about a month after he underwent minor surgery to fix his troublesome knee injury. He was scheduled to be back on 31st March for the game against Blackburn Rovers – which he did and even scored in the 89th minute after coming off the bench to seal off a 4-1 win.
Solskjaer’s last match for United was the FA Cup final game against North Londoners, Chelsea FC in 2007. An extra-time strike from Didier Drogba handed ‘The Blues’ the trophy.
While on international duty with Norway, Ole had complained about the discomfort in his knee and had to go under the knife once more for what was termed “a minor surgery.” The surgery was done on June 5, 2007. However successful, the goalscorer couldn’t get back to 100% fitness and announced his decision to hang his boots 2 months later; August 27 precisely. On 4 September, as United hosted Sunderland at Old Trafford, Solskjaer strolled onto the pitch to wave the fans goodbye – an act which attracted applauds and standing ovation from the emotional crowd.
The Norwegian retired setting these records; (i) most goals scored for Manchester United as a substitute (28) and (ii) most goals scored in the EPL as a substitute (17). However, England international Jermaine Defoe has surpassed the latter.
Testimonial
A testimonial match was played on 2nd August 2008 in honor of Solskjaer. The game took place at Old Trafford and was played against Spanish outfit Espanyol. The game saw a turnout of about 69,000 fans which will go on to be the second-best in all of Britain’s history in terms of attendance. Although Solskjaer was introduced in the game in the 68th minute for Carlos Tevez, it was Fraizer Campbell who gave United the victory. After the game, Solskjaer had an emotional speech addressed to the fans, club staff and his dear family.
International Career
On his debut game for Norway on 26 November 1995, Solskjaer found the back of the net. His goal was paramount in salvaging a 1-1 draw for his country. It was not long after this game before he was signed by Manchester United. He also scored three times for Norway during the 1998 world cup qualification campaign.
A strike partnership between Tore Andre Flo and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for the 1998 FIFA world cup and UEFA Euro 2000 was seen as one of the most formidable partnerships in the nation’s footballing history.
Due to injury, it wasn’t until 2 September 2006 Solskjaer featured for his national side, scoring a brace in their 4-1 against Hungary in the Euro 2008 qualifiers. Both goals helped him hit 23 goals for his country. Ole made a total of 67 appearances for his country with the last coming against Croatia in February 2007.
Coaching
Solskjaer’s last contract with Manchester United had the flexibility of allowing him to hone his coaching skills. After signing the contract in March 2006, at some point, he took up an ambassadorial role when he played with students of the Manchester United Soccer School in Hong Kong.
In an interview with Setanta Sports, Solskjaer affirmed his desire to become a coach after hanging his playing boots and how he intends to go all the way after his final Manchester United season. After retirement, Ole stayed back in Manchester United, helping Alex Ferguson in the coaching of the team’s strikers for the remaining part of the season.
On 20 May 2008, it was announced the Ole had taken charge of Manchester United Reserves who hadn’t had a full-time coach since 2006. All they had had from then till 2008 when he took over as caretaker coaches in the persons of Jimmy Ryan and Brian McClair.
Solskjaer led Manchester United Reserves to win the 2007/08 Lancashire Senior Cup by snatching a 3-2 win against Liverpool Reserves and also the Manchester Senior Cup when he led his team to a 1-0 triumph over Bolton at the Reebok Stadium. He handled the reserve team until the game against Newcastle United in December 2010 which was his last game in charge and which he won 5-1.
When the then Norway national team coach, Age Hareide vacated his position as coach, Solskjaer was called on to handle the team but he declined because he thought he wasn’t ready.
Molde
After signing a four-year contract with his old club Molde FK on November 2010, it wasn’t until the new season that began in January 2011 before Solskjaer went to Norway to take up the job. He was to take charge of the team for the new season.
Solskjaer’s first match as coach of Molde FK was played on 18th March and it ended in a defeat to newcomers Sarpsborg 08. On 3 April, Molde FK’s first home game of the season ended in a tie with top-table Tromso and Senegalese Pape Pate Diouf handed Solskjaer his first goal as the club’s coach. Molde FK and Solskjaer had to wait till 17 April before they had their first win coming from a home game against Stabaek. It was a five-goal thriller and the scoreline was 3-2 in Molde’s favor.
In June 2011 when Molde celebrated it a century, Solskjaer’s Molde defeated Sogndal 2-0 and the result swung them onto the peak of the Tippeligaen table. On 30th October 2011, Solskjaer led Molde FK to the league title in just his first year at the club.
In May 2012, Aston Villa sacked head coach Alex McLeish and opened talks with the Norwegian for the vacant managerial position in the club. Solskjaer turned down the offer for fear of unsettling his family who’ve already settled into life in Norway.
Solskjaer led Molde to a second Tippeligaen title on November 11, 2012, beating their top challenger Stromsgodet narrowly to the title.
The following year, Molde suffered a few setbacks picking up just 7 points from an available 33. However, they bounced back as the season wore on and finished in 6th place. In November of the same year, Solskjaer and Molde triumphed 4-2 over Rosenborg to clinch the Norwegian Cup, thus securing a spot in the next season’s UEFA Europa League qualifiers. The victory was the third of such in the club’s history.
Cardiff City
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer endured a tumultuous season at Cardiff City. After he was appointed on 2nd October 2014, he won his first game in charge at home to Newcastle United in the FA Cup third round on the 4th of October. After that, his team began a poor run of form which saw them get just 7 wins all season. At the end of the campaign, Cardiff was relegated to the Championship after falling to 20th on the league table. On 18th September 2014, Solskjaer departed Cardiff City.
Return to Molde
After an unfavorable spell at Cardiff City, Solskjaer returned to Molde on 21 October 2015 and signed a three and half year contract. In the Europa League, Molde topped their group despite the presence of heavyweights like Ajax, Celtic, and Fenerbahce. Although Molde would go on to lose in the round of 32 to Sevilla. Since Solskjaer’s return to the club, they have finished 2nd place in the league twice in the 2017 and 2018 seasons respectively.
Playing Position
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is a natural forward. He sometimes played from as a support striker, center forward or an attacking midfielder.
Career by Numbers
Solskjaer made 235 appearances in the premier league and scored 91 goals, giving 37 assists along the road. He came on as a substitute for 83 games and started in 152. He was shown the yellow card 15 times and the red just once.
He made 81 European appearances and scored 20 goals and provided 8 assists. He came on as a substitute in 45 games and started in 35, picking up 6 yellow cards.
In the Norway Eliteserien, he played 42 games and scored 31 goals. He started all the games and was shown the yellow card on 6 occasions.
In the FA Cup, Solskjaer made 30 appearances and scored 8 times giving 2 assists. He started 15 games and came off the bench on 15 occasions.
In the League Cup Solskjaer’s made 10 appearances and scored 6 goals.
Later Life
Honors
In 1996, Ole received the Kniksen awards severally including in 1996 (Kniksen of the year), 2007 (Kniksen’s honor award), and coach of the year in 2011 and 2012 consecutively. Ole Gunnar for being an outstanding citizen of Norway was awarded First Class Knighthood of Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav. This award was conferred on him by King Harald V of Norway in a ceremony held on the 25thof October, 2008. The event held at his hometown Kristiansund. It’s worth noting that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is till date the youngest Knighthood recipient as he was just about 35 years when he received the award. The ‘First Class Knighthood’ of the Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav is usually bestowed on deserving and notable members of the society and most are usually in their later (past 50) years.
Also Ole Gunnar was in 2009 bestowed the Peer Gynt Prize by the Norwegian parliament. The honor was in appreciation of his work as a worthy ambassador of sport as well as his ‘great social commitment’, typically for his vast support of football and his philanthropy. The ceremony was held at Vistra Hall.
Legacy
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer left a legacy as one of the most dependable and consistent players Manchester United ever had. For 1/10ththe price United’s preferred target Alan Shearer who went on to sign for Newcastle United, his hometown club for a massive and record-breaking fee of £15million, Ole performed exceedingly well as a super-sub.
He’s regarded as one of the best-ever signings the English team – Manchester United ever had. He had a great run at the club, making 366 appearances. Out of these impressive appearance stats at United, Solskjaer found the back of the net 126 times. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, the Norwegian star made 150 appearances a substitute (super-sub) and scored 33 of those 126 goals in the closing 15 minutes of the games. For just £1.5million, Manchester United got themselves the baby-faced assassin who went on to become a legend at Old Trafford.
Appointment as Manchester Interim Manager
On December 19, 2018, after relieving Jose Mourinho of his duties as Manchester United head coach the previous day (18th), the club announced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as the new interim manager to oversee the remaining games of the 2018/19 season before digging into the market for a full-time manager.
Although he was on a contract with his childhood club, Molde FK, the English outfit deemed him fit to take up the role, working alongside ex-Manchester United player Michael Carrick and Kieran McKenna.
His appointment as interim manager of Manchester United was welcomed with mixed feelings because of his past failure with another English side, Cardiff City.
Ole Gunnar led the club down through relegation in 2014, winning just 5 games and losing 16 in 30. While those statistics might not be compelling, the club needed someone who understood the playing culture that brought her honor in the 1990s and early 2000s.
In 2017, Solskjaer had described an opportunity to oversee the Manchester United team as a “dream job” and apparently ‘dreams come true.’
In a statement to Manchester United website, the former United forward added, “the club is in my heart and it is a dream to come back here. I am expecting a smooth working with the talented squad, the staff and everyone.”
Last updated Novemebr 2018 (more to follow)
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