OIe Gunnar Solskjaer was given a warm welcome back to Old Trafford, attending his first Manchester United match since being sacked by the club 18 months ago.
The ex-Red Devils striker, who managed the club for nearly three years from December 2018 to November last year, is back in Manchester this week and returned to Old Trafford for Saturday's Premier League clash with Wolves. Ahead of the game, Solskjaer was greeted by fans, who were desperate to grab a smile or simply have a quick chat.
Fellow former United star Dion Dublin also greeted him before the match and once it got started, supporters made their feelings even more clear. Chants of "You are my Solskjaer" rang out from the Stretford End, who haven't forgotten all the good that the Norwegian, 50, has done for the club.
Solskjaer was most memorably the hero of United's famous 1999 treble triumph, scoring the winning goal in the Champions League final to beat Bayern Munich in the Camp Nou. That was one of his 91 goals over 11 injury-plagued years for the club which he became manager of, initially on an interim basis, after Jose Mourinho was sacked.
The 'Baby-faced Assassin' revitalised the team and in both full seasons in charge secured third and second-place finishes respectively. But his failure to win a trophy ultimately led to his exit, with the Europa League final defeat in May 2021 proving the turning point on what was a promising reign.
Upon his return to Manchester this week, Solskjaer met fans at an event held at a hotel in the city. Perhaps most striking was his allegiance with supporters who want owners, the Glazer family, to leave. "It needs to be done," the 50-year-old declared, as quoted by The Athletic. "Old Trafford is neglected. The training ground has been neglected. We need to catch up with the other teams."
Have your say! Was Ole Gunnar Solskjaer treated unfairly? Let us know your verdict in the comments section.
Reflecting on his own tenure, he admitted: "I feel very, very privileged and honoured to have been the manager. But there was probably never a worse time to be the manager of Manchester United," referencing how strong Manchester City and Liverpool were.
Solskjaer also confirmed his plans to go back into management, saying: "I've got another job in me if it's the right chance and exciting enough. There are so many clubs, but I'm not going to work just for the sake of working. It has to be something special, a new culture, or a club that really excites me. Or maybe they will want me back at the club (United) in some capacity, who knows?"
But he also tipped ex-assistant Michael Carrick to succeed current boss Erik ten Hag, adding: "I mean this with my whole heart: I'm sure he will be the manager of Manchester United one day. Michael is class, from top to bottom. Integrity, loyalty, respect, knowledge; he's got absolutely everything. I hope we do well with Erik, really hope so, and when he goes that Michael has had enough years for the club to say, 'Come back, Michael, because we need you'."
