Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was voted fifth greatest icon of the Inside United era (1992 -2009) by the magazine's editorial staff. Who better to sing the Norwegian's praises than the other man who put the ball in the Germans' net in '99, Teddy Sheringham...
When I first met Ole I remember thinking the 'Baby-faced assassin' nickname was perfect. He didn’t look old enough to be a professional footballer! But there he was, banging in the goals for United. You didn’t expect such talent from such a young looking lad.
When it comes to talent, Ole was definitely one of the best all-round finishers I’ve ever played with. That’s no mean feat either: I’m including strikers like Jurgen Klinsmann and Alan Shearer in that equation. Certainly, in terms of shooting with both feet, ability in the air and putting the ball exactly where he wanted it to go, Ole was up there with the very, very best.
I can’t stress enough just how good Ole’s finishing was - it was a joy to watch in training. He was real perfectionist, too, and spent hours practising. Even when he scored he wouldn’t celebrate a goal with quite as much passion if the ball hadn’t gone exactly where he’d planned. Most strikers don’t care how the ball goes in, but if Ole scuffed one instead of hitting it perfectly, he’d be slightly disappointed.
He also had a knack for shooting through defenders’ legs, which not a lot of football fans had seen before Ole came along. It was incredible and a deliberate tactic on his part. He’d change the angle of the ball just enough until he’d manoeuvred the defender into the position he required, and then he’d fire the ball through their legs. I’d sometimes make the odd pass through a defender’s legs, but I never quite mastered the art of shooting like that. It was really clever and Ole had it down to a fine art.
Of course, Ole scored one of the most important goals in the club’s history and he’ll always be remembered for that moment in the Nou Camp. But his legend status at Old Trafford is built on more than one match. He scored so many goals and was so unselfish in the way he approached the game. He’s also a fantastic man - a true gentleman - and I think United fans recognise that. You don’t even have to have met Ole to realise what a nice guy he is.
Yet he’ll be remembered most fondly for what he did on the pitch and the way he always seemed to dig United out of trouble. If the ball dropped to anybody for half a chance to wards the end of a game then you wanted that person to be Ole because you knew he’d at least hit the target. More often than not, he’d find the back of the net, too.
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