Manchester United today confirmed that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been appointed as the club’s full time manager on a three-year contract.
The decision brings an end to speculation over a permanent appointment with Spurs Mauricio Pochettino constantly linked to the job despite a record breaking start for Solskjaer at Old Trafford.
Embed from Getty ImagesSolskjaer had been appointed caretaker manager on December 19, 2018 after former manager Jose Mourinho had been sacked following a string of poor performances and results.
The Norwegian, who had previously had a management spell in charge of Cardiff City, subsequently won his first eight games in charge of the Red Devils on his way to an overall record of 14 wins and two draws in his opening 19 games.
He turned a club which was 11 points adrift of 4th place in the Premier League in 6th to genuine contenders for a Champions League spot for next season.
He also engineered a comeback win against Paris St Germain to beat the French giants and earn a Champions League Quarter Final tie against Barcelona.
Domestically, the Red Devils currently sit in 5th place on 58 points, just two points behind Arsenal in the all-important final Champion League spot.
They were knocked out of the FA Cup after suffering a 2-1 FA Cup quarter final defeat at Wolves 6 days after losing 2-0 at Arsenal.
A much loved United legend, Solskjaer scored 126 goals in 366 appearances for United between 1996 and 2007 including the winning goal in the 1999 Champions League final.
He also managed the club’s reserve team until the end of 2010 and talked about managing United being his “dream job”.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer back home at Manchester United on 3 year deal
Speaking about his appointment, the proud Norwegian said: “From the first day I arrived, I felt at home at this special club,”
“It was an honour to be a Manchester United player, and then to start my coaching career here.
“The last few months have been a fantastic experience and I want to thank all of the coaches, players and staff for the work we’ve done so far.
“This is the job that I always dreamed of doing and I’m beyond excited to have the chance to lead the club long-term and hopefully deliver the continued success that our amazing fans deserve.”
Ed Woodward, Executive Vice Chairman, added: “Since coming in as Caretaker Manager in December, the results Ole has delivered speak for themselves.
“More than just performances and results, Ole brings a wealth of experience, both as a player and as a coach, coupled with a desire to give young players their chance and a deep understanding of the culture of the club.
“This all means that he is the right person to take Manchester United forward.
“I want to thank Ole and the coaching team for everything they have done so far and congratulate him on this richly deserved appointment.
“The fans and everyone at the club are behind him as he looks to take us where we need to be and build the next stage of our history.”
Solskjaer now faces a difficult rebuilding phase to his United managerial career to achieve his stated aim of lifting the Premier League title again in the future.
He will have to sign new players to strengthen the United squad in the summer and move on players who don’t fit into his plan to make his Red Devils one of the hardest working fittest teams in the Premier League next term.
But first he must steer his Red Devils back into the Champions League – no mean feat with the games ahead of him.