Ole Gunnar Solskjær facts for kids
Solskjær as Molde manager in 2011
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 26 February 1973 | ||
| Place of birth | Kristiansund, Norway | ||
| Height | 1.78 m | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Beşiktaş (head coach) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1980–1990 | Clausenengen | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1990–1995 | Clausenengen | 109 | (115) |
| 1995–1996 | Molde | 42 | (31) |
| 1996–2007 | Manchester United | 235 | (91) |
| Total | 386 | (237) | |
| National team | |||
| 1994–1995 | Norway U21 | 19 | (13) |
| 1995–2007 | Norway | 67 | (23) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2008–2011 | Manchester United (reserves) | ||
| 2011–2014 | Molde | ||
| 2014 | Cardiff City | ||
| 2015–2018 | Molde | ||
| 2018–2021 | Manchester United | ||
| 2025– | Beşiktaş | ||
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Ole Gunnar Solskjær (born 26 February 1973) is a Norwegian football manager and former player. He is currently the head coach for Süper Lig club Beşiktaş.
Solskjær spent most of his playing career as a forward for Manchester United. He also played 67 games for the Norway national team. He was known as "the Baby-faced Assassin" for his youthful looks and amazing goal-scoring ability. He was also famous for scoring goals after coming on as a substitute. One of his most famous moments was scoring the winning goal in the 1999 UEFA Champions League final. This helped Manchester United win the treble in 1999.
After retiring as a player in 2007 due to injuries, Solskjær became a coach. He managed Manchester United's reserve team. Later, he returned to his former club, Molde, and led them to their first-ever league titles. He also managed Cardiff City and then returned to Molde. In 2018, he became the manager of Manchester United. He stayed in that role until 2021.
Contents
Early Life and Football Beginnings
Ole Gunnar Solskjær was born in Kristiansund, Norway. His father, Øyvind, was a wrestling champion. Ole tried Greco-Roman wrestling from ages eight to ten. However, he decided to focus on football instead.
At seven, he joined his local football club, Clausenengen. He played for them from 1980 to 1990 as a youth player. Between 1992 and 1993, Solskjær completed his mandatory year of national service in the Norwegian Army.
Playing Career Highlights
Starting at Clausenengen
Solskjær made his first team debut for Clausenengen (CFK) in 1990 when he was 17. He scored 17 goals in six matches in one tournament. In 1993, CFK was promoted to a higher division. Solskjær's last season with the club was in 1994. He scored 31 of their 47 goals that year. In his five years at Clausenengen, he scored an impressive 115 goals in 109 league games. This means he scored more than one goal per game on average.
Time at Molde
In February 1995, Solskjær joined Molde, a team that had just been promoted to Norway's top league. He quickly made an impact. In his first game, he scored two goals in a 6–0 win. In his second game, he scored three goals. He also scored three goals in another game soon after.
Solskjær played in his first European competition in August 1995. He scored important goals to help Molde qualify for the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. Molde finished second in the league that season. Solskjær scored 20 goals in 26 league matches. He formed a strong attacking partnership with two other players, and they were called "The Three S's."
In 1996, Solskjær continued his great goal-scoring form. He scored three goals in an 8–0 win against Moss. Many clubs from Germany and Italy became interested in him. Eventually, Manchester United made an offer of £1.5 million, which Molde accepted. Solskjær played his last game for Molde in July 1996. He scored a goal and received a big applause from the fans. He finished his time at Molde with 41 goals in 54 games.
Joining Manchester United
Solskjær joined Manchester United in July 1996. Many people were surprised because he was not well-known outside Norway. He was expected to be a backup player. However, he quickly showed his talent. He scored just six minutes into his debut game against Blackburn Rovers. He became the club's top goal scorer in his first season, with 18 league goals. The British media gave him the nickname "the Baby-faced Assassin" because of his young looks and his amazing ability to score goals.
The Treble-Winning Season (1998–99)
Solskjær stayed at Manchester United even though other clubs wanted to sign him. He scored many important goals during the 1998–99 season. One memorable moment was in an FA Cup game against Liverpool. United were losing 1–0, but Solskjær scored the winning goal in injury time.
On 6 February, he came off the bench against Nottingham Forest. He scored four goals in the last 12 minutes of the game, helping United win 8–1. This was one of his most impressive performances. Manchester United won the Premier League title on the last day of the season. Solskjær won his second Premier League title. He also started in the 1999 FA Cup final, which United won 2–0. This completed the "double" (winning the league and the FA Cup).
The biggest moment came on 26 May in the 1999 UEFA Champions League final against Bayern Munich. United were losing 1–0 as the game entered injury time. Teddy Sheringham scored the equalizer. Then, just moments later, Solskjær scored the winning goal from a corner kick. This famous goal helped Manchester United win the Treble (Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League) and made him a legend at the club.
Life as a "Super-Sub"
Solskjær became known as a "super-sub" because he often came off the bench and scored crucial goals. He was very good at watching the game from the sidelines and finding weaknesses in the opposing team's defense. He would then use this knowledge to make an impact when he came on.
Battling Injuries
After the treble season, Solskjær continued to score important goals. In the 2001–02 season, he had his best goal-scoring year since his debut. He scored 17 league goals. However, a serious knee injury in 2003 greatly affected his career. He had to miss the entire 2004–05 season due to surgery.
Manchester United fans showed their support by putting up a banner that said "20LEGEND" (he wore the number 20 shirt). He made his return in December 2005. He scored his first Premier League goal since April 2003 in August 2006. He continued to score important goals, including a winner in the Champions League.
Solskjær had more knee surgery in 2007. He tried to recover but announced his retirement from football on 27 August 2007. He holds the record for the most goals scored for Manchester United as a substitute, with 28 goals.
Testimonial Match
On 2 August 2008, a special match was played in Solskjær's honor at Old Trafford. Almost 69,000 fans attended, showing how much he was loved. He came on as a substitute and received a huge standing ovation.
International Career
Solskjær made his debut for the Norway national team in November 1995. He scored his first goal in that game against Jamaica. He played for Norway in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000. He formed a strong attacking partnership with Tore André Flo.
After his injuries, he made a comeback for Norway in September 2006. He scored two goals in a 4–1 win against Hungary. These were his last goals for the national team, bringing his total to 23 goals. He played his final game for Norway in February 2007, finishing with 67 appearances.
Managerial Career
First Steps in Coaching
After retiring, Solskjær stayed at Manchester United in a coaching role. In 2008, he became the manager of the Manchester United Reserves team. He led them to win the Lancashire Senior Cup in 2008 and the Manchester Senior Cup in 2009. He also won the Premier Reserve League North in 2010.
Managing Molde (First Spell)
In November 2010, Solskjær became the manager of his former club, Molde, in Norway. In his first season, he led Molde to win their first-ever Tippeligaen title in 2011. He then led them to win the league again in 2012. In 2013, Molde won the Norwegian Football Cup, securing another trophy for the club.
Cardiff City Challenge
In January 2014, Solskjær became the manager of Cardiff City in England. He won his first game in charge, an FA Cup match. However, the team struggled in the league and was relegated from the Premier League at the end of the season. He left Cardiff City in September 2014.
Return to Molde (Second Spell)
Solskjær returned to Molde as manager in October 2015. In his first match back, Molde beat Celtic 3–1 in the UEFA Europa League. He guided Molde to finish first in their Europa League group. They were later knocked out by Sevilla, who went on to win the competition.
In the Norwegian league, Molde finished fifth in 2016. In 2017, Solskjær led Molde to a second-place finish in the league. This meant they qualified for the Europa League again. In 2018, Molde had another strong season, finishing second in the league once more.
Managing Manchester United (2018–2021)
In December 2018, Manchester United appointed Solskjær as their caretaker manager for the rest of the season. His first game was a 5–1 win against Cardiff City. He became the first Manchester United manager since 1946 to win his first five league games. He was named Premier League Manager of the Month for January 2019.
Under Solskjær, United had an amazing comeback in the UEFA Champions League. They lost 2–0 at home to Paris Saint-Germain in the first game. But in the second game, they won 3–1 away, moving to the quarter-finals on away goals. This was a historic win.
In March 2019, after winning 14 of his 19 matches, Solskjær signed a three-year contract to become the permanent manager. However, the team's form dipped after this. They finished sixth in the Premier League.
In the 2019–20 season, United had a slow start. But after Bruno Fernandes joined, the team improved a lot. They went unbeaten for the rest of the league season and finished third in the Premier League. They reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup and Europa League but lost both.
In the 2020–21 season, United had another mixed start. They were knocked out of the Champions League group stage. However, they improved in the Premier League and finished second, their best finish in years. They reached the 2021 UEFA Europa League final but lost to Villarreal in a penalty shootout.
In the 2021–22 season, Solskjær signed a new contract. United started well in the league. However, a series of poor results followed, including a 5–0 home loss to Liverpool. After a 4–1 loss to Watford in November 2021, Solskjær left his role as manager.
Current Role at Beşiktaş
On 18 January 2025, Solskjær was appointed as the head coach for Süper Lig club Beşiktaş.
Personal Life
Ole Gunnar Solskjær lives with his wife, Silje, and their three children: Noah, Karna, and Elijah. Noah and Karna are also footballers. Karna plays as a forward and has even played for Manchester United's senior women's team. This makes Ole and Karna the first father-daughter pair to play for Manchester United.
In 2001, Solskjær became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, helping children around the world. In 2008, he received the First Class Knighthood of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav from the King of Norway. He was the youngest person ever to receive this honor. In 2009, the Norwegian parliament gave him the Peer Gynt Prize for his work in sport and his social commitment.
Images for kids
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Solskjær after a game for Molde in 1996
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The Manchester United team, with Solskjær, celebrating after winning the UEFA Champions League in 1999.
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Solskjær taking a free kick during his testimonial in 2008
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Solskjær as Cardiff City manager in 2014
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Solskjær in his second spell as Molde manager in 2018
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Solskjær on the Old Trafford touchline in 2021
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The "20LEGEND" banner being raised in the Stretford End after Solskjær's departure
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