Ole Gunnar Solskjaer celebrates after scoring at Old Trafford

Inside the mind of the Baby-Faced Assassin

Thursday 08 March 2018 14:16

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is the subject of a revealing documentary on MUTV.com, as the ex-Manchester United marksman talks in depth about his career.

The Norwegian remains hugely popular at Old Trafford and will always be remembered for his Treble-clinching goal in 1999 against Bayern Munich but his predatory instincts in the box had already long earned him the adulation of the crowd.

As the terrace song goes, Alan Shearer may have been dearer but the Scandinavian sharpshooter, or the Baby-Faced Assassin, proved to be an incredibly astute signing from Molde, the club he currently manages, for only £1.5million in 1996.

Solskjaer is the most grounded of individuals but recognises his finishing ability was what helped to make his name at the highest level.

Video
Watch a clip from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's in-depth MUTV interview.

"Even though I'm a humble lad, I don't think there is any better finisher than me, still," he told MUTV. "The better players I had with me, the better I was. 

"I was a poacher, sniffing goals out, and the better I got to know Giggsy [Ryan Giggs], Becks [David Beckham] and Eric Cantona, plus all the other great players I played with, they created chances for me. So it was just being focused and concentrated enough to not waste them and score when I got the chance so the gaffer will have a problem leaving you out.

"It was 11 years and there were not many days when I felt I was not happy with this. I was living a dream life for a lad from Kristiansud and never really tensed up when I got chances. This is my chance, I'll get a goal and then I'll get another one.

The night legendary status became assured for the Baby-Faced Assassin.

"I think maybe I should have scored more," he added. "That's just me. I practised and practised and knew within my head what kind of finish I had to do to score a goal. When I was even nine or 10, I always finished as if the best goalkeeper in the world was in goal. 

"I was a very proud man with my finishes but there were two or three goals I scored for United, I remember one especially against Ipswich at home, which was a fluke. I don't celebrate them. Again, it's just me but it was a bad finish. There is no such thing as a great save, just a bad finish. I was lucky it went in."

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says

"Even though I'm a humble lad, I don't think there is any better finisher than me, still."

You can watch the revealing interview, Ole - Past, Present and Future, in the MUFC Originals series on MUTV.com.