Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Lore & Background

A forward, Solskjær began his career in his native Norway with Clausenengen, where he scored 115 goals in 109 league appearances over five seasons, helping the club earn promotion to the Norwegian Second Division in 1993. He then moved to Molde, newly promoted to the highest league in Norway, Tippeligaen, for the 1995 season. His goals helped Molde finish second and qualify for the UEFA Cup. In July 1996, Solskjær joined Manchester United for a transfer fee of £1.5 million.

Nicknamed 'the Baby-faced Assassin', he made 366 appearances for United and scored 126 goals during a successful period for the club. Renowned as a 'super-sub' for his knack of scoring late goals off the bench, he famously netted the dramatic injury-time winner against Bayern Munich in the 1999 UEFA Champions League final. That goal secured the treble for United, who had trailed 1–0 as the match entered stoppage time. He remained a regular player for the side until a serious knee injury sustained in 2003 began to plague his career.

After several attempts to return, he announced his retirement from football in 2007. Solskjær remained at Manchester United after retiring, taking on both a coaching role and ambassadorial duties. In 2008, he was appointed manager of the club's reserve team. He returned to Norway in 2011 to manage his former club, Molde, leading them to their first-ever Tippeligaen titles in his first two seasons.

He added a third major honour by winning the 2013 Norwegian Football Cup. In 2014, Solskjær took charge of Cardiff City, though the club was relegated from the Premier League during his tenure. In late 2018, he returned to Manchester United as caretaker manager following the departure of José Mourinho, taking charge for the remainder of the 2018–19 season. On 28 March 2019, after winning 14 of his first 19 matches in charge, Solskjær was appointed manager of Manchester United on a permanent basis with a three-year contract.

He led the club to the 2021 UEFA Europa League final, where they were defeated by Villarreal in a penalty shoot-out. Following a poor run of results during the 2021–22 season, he was sacked by the club in November 2021. In January 2025, after three years out of management, Solskjær was appointed manager of Turkish Süper Lig club Beşiktaş, but was sacked in August 2025 after failing to qualify for European football.

Reader's Guide

Solskjær was born in Kristiansund, Møre og Romsdal to Øyvind, a Greco-Roman wrestling champion, and Brita Solskjær. At the age of seven, he joined local football club Clausenengen, who were in the 3. divisjon. Solskjær supported Liverpool as a child. Between the ages of eight and ten, he followed in his father's footsteps and trained as a Greco-Roman wrestler, but gave it up due to being tossed around too much.

Between 1992 and 1993, Solskjær completed a mandatory year's national service in the Norwegian Army. He debuted for Clausenengen at 17 years old in 1990. He participated in the Otta Cup, scoring seventeen goals in six matches. On 21 May 1993, CFK faced Molde in the Norwegian Football Cup, with Solskjær scoring Clausenengen's only goal in their 6–1 defeat.

Clausenengen were promoted to the 2. divisjon in 1993, winning the 3. division by 12 points. Solskjær's final season at the club was in 1994, with him scoring 31 of CFK's 47 goals, helping the club achieve a mid-table finish of sixth place. In Solskjær's five years playing for Clausenengen, he averaged more than a goal a game in the league, scoring 115 goals in 109 matches. On 14 February 1995, he was signed by Åge Hareide, manager of newly promoted top-flight club Molde, for a fee of NOK150,000.

On 22 April 1995, Solskjær made his debut for Molde against Brann, scoring twice in a 6–0 victory. In his second game on 29 April, Solskjær scored a hat-trick helping Molde 5–4 win over Viking. On 14 May, he scored another brace in a 2–1 win over Hamarkameratene. Two days later, he netted a hat-trick as Molde thrashed Hødd 7–2.

Solskjær scored a penalty in Molde's 4–1 victory over Strindheim on 30 July. On 10 August, Solskjær played in his first European competition, the qualification round for UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, against Belarusian team Dinamo-93 Minsk. Molde conceded in the first half but Solskjær managed to equalise in the 85th minute. He also scored in the second leg as Molde won 2–1 (3–2 on aggregate) and qualified for the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup proper.

Molde were subsequently drawn against French team Paris Saint-Germain, Solskjær scored in the first leg on 14 September as the team lost 3–2 at Molde Stadion. He played in the away leg on 28 September, but Molde were outmatched and lost 3–0. Molde finished the season in second place, runners-up to Rosenborg by 15 points.

Did You Know?

• He was nicknamed 'the Baby-faced Assassin' by the British media.
• He won his first Premier League title in the 1996–97 season.