This post is in tribute to the baby faced assassin - OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER.
20 LEGEND... 20 being the shirt he wears and legend is the least you would use to describe this fabulous striker.

Some testimonials from fellow team-mates/coaches/admirers

"The first training session we did with Ole was a shooting session and he was just unbelievable. I remember going home that day and telling my mates we’d just signed the new Alan Shearer."
Ryan Giggs

"Ole was one of the best strikers this club has had. A clever player with two good feet, he always had a great ability to find space and, of course, a great ability in front of goal."
Eric Cantona

"I want to say thank you to Ole for what he’s done for me as a player and a person and for allowing me to be part of history. 1999 was a year in which we made history, both as a team and as friends."
David Beckham

"Ole's a good lad and I’ve always had a lot of admiration for him. He’s always friendly and positive, even when he wasn't always playing. He never sulked – he made sure that when he got a chance he made an impact."
Rio Ferdinand

"I sat next to Ole in the changing room for many years – I must have annoyed him a lot! He’s such a fantastic person and he deserves all the success and adulation that he gets."
Gary Neville

“Ole loved every minute of every training session and game that he played for United. He threw himself into the club and it’s no surprise that he’s still involved now. He’s lived Manchester United."
Phil Neville

"Ole was very clever on the pitch and his finishing in training was just brilliant. It helped me when I was coming into the team, seeing his composure in front of goal."
Wayne Rooney

“Nobody has a bad word to say about Ole. He was a consummate professional and brilliant player who scored some vital goals for us in his time at Old Trafford. He understands what Manchester United is all about and is a great advocate for the club."
David Gill, Chief Executive

"In a one-on-one situation I’ve not seen many better and I’m very grateful to Ole for all the important goals he scored over the years - he’ll always be remembered for that by every United fan."
Sir Bobby Charlton

"When we started training together the thing that I noticed was that Ole was always in the right place and made scoring goals look so easy."
Raimond van der Gouw


“The reasons behind Ole’s success as a player will make him succeed in management – he’s very determined, focused and has a great ability to learn."
Rene Meulensteen, Technical Skills Development coach

"A nicer young man you would be pushed to find. It’s great to see the club have made him an ambassador as well as a coach and shows the esteem in which he is held."
Denis Law

"The qualities Ole has brought United as a player continue to shine now and he fits in with Sir Alex’s plan of keeping people at the club who know and understand the culture and ethos of United."
Ken Ramsden, Club secretary

"I’m extremely proud of the career Ole went on to have with United, he’s a person I’m very fond of and is an ideal professional in the way he acts and the way he trained."
Age Hareide, Norway coach and former Molde manager

Former United captain, David Beckham also continues to salute the Norwegian...
"Obviously the goal in Barcelona is one of my favourite Ole memories," says Beckham. "But I’ll never forget when he came on as a sub at Nottingham Forest and within ten minutes had scored four goals. That just sums Ole up as a player, he was all about scoring goals."

- David Beckham

David Beckham's overriding memory of playing alongside Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is simple - goals.
"I remember meeting him for the first time and thinking how young he looked - he had such a baby face!" recalls Beckham.

"As soon as he started training you could see straight away that he had what it took to become a Manchester United player, a great Manchester United player in fact, even at such a young age.

"He was one of those players that whenever he got the ball he did something with it – that was obvious from the moment he stepped on the training pitch."

"We appreciated everything about him though, not just his goals. He always worked hard on and off the field and the fact that he was a nice guy on top of all that was brilliant. He’s a great player and a great person."

A bit of Solskjaer's history and always a part of Old Trafford:

Ole Gunnar Solskjær (born February 26, 1973 in Kristiansund, Møre og Romsdal) is a Norwegian former footballer who spent the vast majority of his career playing for Manchester United. He is the current Manchester United Reserve team manager. He played 366 times for the Red Devils and scored 126 goals during a very successful period for the club. He was also part of the 1999 Treble winning Team, scoring the decisive last-minute goal in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich. Before he moved to England, Solskjær completed a year's national service in the Norwegian army, and played part time for Third Division Norwegian Clausenengen F.K., later moving to Norwegian Premier League Molde F.K. in 1994. He joined United on 29 July 1996, for a transfer fee of £1.5m. He is a patron of the Manchester United Supporters' Trust (formerly Shareholders United).

Solskjær was renowned for his tendency to score goals late in the game, often handing Manchester United a draw or win from the brink of defeat. The most famous example of this came in injury time of the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final against Bayern Munich at the Camp Nou in Barcelona.

On 27 August 2007, Solskjær announced his retirement from football after failing to recover from a serious knee injury. However, Solskjær remained at Old Trafford in a coaching role, as well as in an ambassadorial capacity. On 20 May 2008, Solskjær was announced as Manchester United's first full-time Reserve team manager since 2006, taking over from Brian McClair and Jimmy Ryan, who had filled the role in a caretaker capacity.

In November 2007 Solskjær was made a Knight, First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav by King Harald V of Norway. He is to be presented with the award in a later ceremony in his hometown of Kristiansund. Solskjær is the youngest ever recipient of the knighthood, usually bestowed upon notable members of society in their later years.

For his commitment to Manchester United, Solskjaer was granted a testimonial which is to take place in the pre-season preparations for the 2008-09 season. The match will be against Espanyol and will be played on August 2nd.

My point of view:

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, 6 time Premier League winner, 2 time FA Cup, 1 time League cup, 1 time European Champion, 1 time Intercontinental Cup winner and 4 times community shield winner. Solskjaer arrived at Old Trafford with the face of an innocent baby.

However, this was a complete masquerade of his lethal approach in front of goal. Mostly used as a sub, Solskjaer never uttered a word. He would stay focus and read the game well and when he was in the game, he always did not disappoint.

Sir Alex must have gotten a real bargain when he signed the Norwegian for 1.5 million pounds. Solskjaer always allowed his foot to do the talking and his goals do the walking. His pin-point accuracy, hunger and eye for goal made him the perfect striker.

However, cursed with leg injuries... Ole came back time and again until in August last year where he announced retirement. Ole has always been a part of United's fascinating history and will continue to live on as the 20 LEGEND in the hearts of many of the United faithful.

Ole, Ole, Ole

You are my Solskjaer my Ole Solskjaer,
You make me happy when skies are grey,
Cause when it's pouring you just keep scoring
So Please don't take my Solskjaer away.

OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER