Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, plagued by a series of knee injuries, announced his retirement from football on Tuesday.
Manchester United's Norwegian striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer retires from football after a series of injuries
LONDON: Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, plagued by a series of knee injuries, announced his retirement from football on Tuesday.
The 34-year-old Norwegian, who scored the winner in the UEFA Champions League final against Bayern Munich in 1999, made several short lived comebacks during the past four years. The former Norway international joined United from Norwegian club Molde for 1.5 million pounds in 1996 and has made 366 appearances for United, and played almost half his games as a substitute during 11 years, scoring 126 goals.
Known as the 'baby-faced assassin', for his youthful looks and ability to score crucial goals, Solskjaer scored 11 goals in 30 appearances as the side reclaimed the English Premier League title last season.
His last game for Sir Alex Ferguson's side was the FA Cup final defeat to Chelsea May 19 when he came on as an extra-time substitute at the Wembley Stadium. He has already spent time at United coaching young players and was appointed a club ambassador last year. Solskjaer's retirement leaves Ferguson with only three strikers - Wayne Rooney, Louis Saha and Carlos Tevez - the last being the only one fully fit right now.
The Norwegian returned to fitness last season and was hopeful of playing a meaningful role this time round as well, despite undergoing minor knee surgery in June. But he had problems during rehabilitation and recently admitted he expected this to be his last season. He is hugely popular with United fans because of his modest manner and acceptance of his role behind more lauded strikers such as Eric Cantona, Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke and Ruud Van Nistelrooy. Solskjaer played at Old Trafford longer than any of his forward rivals.
In 1999, he scored four goals in 12 minutes in an 8-1 Premier League win at Nottingham Forest and, three months later, hit the second of two injury time goals as United rallied to beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in the Champions League final. He became an integral part of manager Alex Ferguson's squad, either in the starting lineup or on the bench.
He was a regular starter in the 2001-02 season alongside Van Nistelrooy, but injuries and Ferguson's later switch to a lone striker formation forced him back onto the bench. After just five games in two years because of the knee injury, Solskjaer seemed to have regained fitness last season, when he earned a sixth Premier League winner's medal but hurt his knee again in the off-season.
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