Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

In July 1996, Solskjær joined Manchester United for £1.5 million from Molde, a newly promoted Norwegian club where he had scored 41 goals in 54 games. Initially expected to be a backup to Eric Cantona and Andy Cole, he quickly proved himself as a key first-team player. He wore the number 20 shirt throughout his United career, scoring six minutes into his debut against Blackburn Rovers on 25 August 1996. His first season yielded 18 Premier League goals in 33 appearances, making him the club's top scorer. Solskjær formed a deadly strike partnership early on, but his defining legacy was built on his ability to change games as a substitute.

In Their Own Story

The climax of his playing career arrived on 26 May 1999 in Barcelona. Manchester United trailed Bayern Munich 1–0 as the match entered stoppage time in the UEFA Champions League final. In the dying seconds, Teddy Sheringham flicked on a corner, and Solskjær scored the dramatic injury-time winner to level the score. Moments later, he scored again to complete the comeback, securing the treble for United. This goal remains one of the most famous in football history, transforming a likely defeat into a historic victory. His form was not limited to this night; he had also scored braces against Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland in his debut season.

Reader's Guide

Solskjær's career path took him from Clausenengen, where he scored 115 goals in 109 league appearances, to Molde before joining United. After retiring in 2007 due to a serious knee injury sustained in 2003, he remained at United as a coach and ambassador. He managed the reserve team from 2008, then returned to Norway to manage Molde, leading them to their first-ever Tippeligaen titles in his first two seasons and winning the 2013 Norwegian Football Cup. His managerial journey included a stint at Cardiff City (2014) before he returned to Manchester United as caretaker manager in late 2018 following José Mourinho's departure.

Did You Know?

• Solskjær scored 115 goals in just 109 league appearances for his first club, Clausenengen.
• He supported Liverpool as a child before joining Manchester United.
• Between the ages of eight and ten, he trained as a Greco-Roman wrestler like his father but quit because he was 'tossed around too much.'
• Solskjær completed a mandatory year's national service in the Norwegian Army between 1992 and 1993.
• His surnames with fellow forwards Arild Stavrum and Ole Bjørn Sundgot all started with 'S,' leading to them being called 'The Three S's' at Molde.