Norwegian · Kristiansund, Norway · Born 26 February 1973Manchester United's 'Baby-faced Assassin' whose Champions League final winner sealed the 1999 Treble and wrote him into football folklore.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær was born on 26 February 1973 in Kristiansund, Norway, to Øyvind Solskjær, a champion Greco-Roman wrestler. Ole began playing football for local club Clausenengen at seven, and also trained in wrestling between the ages of eight and ten before deciding to focus solely on football, later joking he had grown tired of being "tossed around too much" on the wrestling mat. Solskjær made his senior debut for Clausenengen at 17 in 1990, and over five prolific seasons scored an extraordinary 115 goals in 109 league games, helping the club earn promotion. He moved to Molde in 1995, immediately scoring twice on his debut and a hat-trick in his second appearance, before Manchester United signed him in 1996. Solskjær spent 11 seasons at Manchester United, becoming one of the most clinical super-substitutes in football history, renowned for his ability to change games from the bench. His single most famous moment came in the 1999 Champions League final against Bayern Munich, when he scored the dramatic injury-time winner that completed United's unprecedented treble of the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League. Solskjær earned 67 caps for Norway, and after retiring as a player in 2007 due to persistent knee injuries, moved into management, leading Molde to Norwegian league titles before returning to Manchester United as manager from 2018 to 2021. He later managed Turkish club Beşiktaş and continues to run a youth football academy in his hometown of Kristiansund.
Scoring the winning goal in the 1999 Champions League final
He once scored four goals as a substitute in an 8-1 win over Nottingham Forest in 1999, coming on with just 18 minutes remaining.
Did You Know?How They Played
Clinical finisher with excellent positioning and composure in front of goal
Lasting Impact
Manchester United legend known as 'The Baby-faced Assassin' and super-sub extraordinaire
Career Honours
- Premier League 6x
- Champions League 1999
- FA Cup 2x
- Premier League 1997
- Premier League 1999
- Premier League 2000
- Premier League 2001
- Premier League 2003
- Premier League 2007
| Club | Period | Fee | Apps | Goals | Shirt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clausenengen | 1990–1996 | — | 109 | 18 | #20 |
| Molde | 2009–2010 | £1.5m | 39 | 18 | #11 |
| Manchester United | 1996–2007 | £1.5m | 366 | 126 | #20 |
 Norway | — | — | 67 | 23 | — |
Norwegian Athletes