Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer – The baby-faced assassin brings something completely different to the table. His undeniable class matched with his humble and unassuming nature made for another Stretford End favourite.
The fact that a player who was dubbed a ‘super-sub’ throughout his Old Trafford career makes my top five United players in testament to the professional that was Solskjaer.
When he scored his first goal for United, funnily enough it was from the substitute’s bench and his most famous goal as a substitute which took United to the promise-land of club football (again in 1999) etched his name into the folklore of Manchester United history.
The Norweigan was signed in 1996 after United had failed to sign Alan Shearer but fans were glad of the outcome as United’s forward line needed a young poacher which is exactly what Solskjaer became.
Another bow to his ribbon was his versatility and compliance of instructions from his manager. Solskjaer was also deployed as winger on occasions and hugged the touchline like a natural in the absence of the likes of David Beckham and Ryan Giggs. Not once did he complain about being played out of position.
It was this obedience that kept him at United during his injury hell which lasted over 3 years. The Old Trafford faithful, however, displayed almost fanatical loyalty in their desire to see Solskjaer in action again.
To show their continuing support, fans added a banner to the collection that lines the Stretford End reading “20 LEGEND” (Solskjaer wore number 20 for United). Solskjaer further solidified his status amongst United fans when he became a patron of the supporters action group, Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST), previously Shareholders United.
His relationship with the fans was first class and rightly received a standing ovation on Monday night after ending his 14-year association with the club by agreeing to become the manager of former club Molde.
Solskaer is unquestionably a “20 LEGEND.”