Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has admitted that the club still has a special hold over him after opening up on his emotional exit.
Solskjaer, 50, spent just shy of three years in the Old Trafford hotseat after initially stepping in on an interim basis following the departure of Jose Mourinho.
The Norwegian, a popular figure at the club from his playing days, won plenty of plaudits during the early days of his tenure and guided United to a second-placed finish just months before he was sacked. Solskjaer was relieved of his duties back in November 2021 after a string of unacceptable results.
After conducting an emotional exit interview in the immediate aftermath of his exit, Solskjaer has kept a low profile since leaving United and is now living back in his native Norway.
However, Solskjaer has now shed some light on the highs and lows of his Old Trafford tenure after returning to Manchester for ‘An Evening with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’ - including the moment he broke down after leaving the club.
“I have cried, as a grown man, twice in my life,” he said at the event, which was held at the Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel. “The first time was after my testimonial. And then, a year and a half ago, when I had to leave. Manchester United just does something to you.”
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Solskjaer clocked up over 360 appearances for United during his illustrious playing career, notching 126 goals in the process. The striker, dubbed the 'baby-faced assassin', was a fixture in the teams that dominated the domestic game under Sir Alex Ferguson.
After hanging up his boots, Solskjaer began his coaching journey at United as the manager of the club's reserve side. He was then lured back to his former club, Molde, to take charge of the Norwegian outfit.
Solskjaer had a brief stint in the Premier League as the boss of Cardiff City before returning to Molde for a second spell. It December 2018 when a return to Old Trafford materialised, with United turning to Solskjaer after parting company with Mourinho.
After steadying the ship, Solskjaer enjoyed two full campaigns with varying success before his tenure was terminated in the aftermath of a chastening 4-1 defeat at Watford.
Despite his emotional attachment to Manchester United, Solskjaer made it clear that he feels he still has unfinished business in the dugout and is open to interesting proposals. He also refused to rule out the possibility of a sensational return to Old Trafford at some point in the future.
He added: “I’ve got another job in me, if it’s the right chance and exciting enough. There are so many clubs, but I’m not going to work just for the sake of working. It has to be something special, a new culture, or a club that really excites me. Or maybe they will want me back at the club (United) in some capacity, who knows?”
