Ole Gunnar Solskajer is, without a doubt, my favourite player on any squad. I, quite literally, immediately move to the edge of my seat whenever he comes onto the pitch and, if you know anything about his career as “The Super Sub,” you’ll know why. So, it was genuine sadness I felt this morning when I read Ole had retired due to chronic knee injuries.

When I took up the sport as a fan, I was informed by my family that I was to be a Manchester United supporter. And, while many follow Manchester United in the same way that those who aren’t true baseball fans follow the New York Yankees, I took as a United fan because of Ole. He was immediately likable and so proficient as a substitute that it begged the question why he wasn’t more often in the starting lineup. However, being a sub was part of his magic; Sir Alex Ferguson credits Ole with being able to study the game from the bench, not taking his eye off the pitch, prior to entering and delivering the desire result. He had many career highs as a substitute, not the least of which was a 4 goal performance in the closing twelve minutes of a game against Nottingham Forrest.




Perhaps his most legendary moment as a United player came when he turned the fortunes of the Champions League Final, in 1999, with the winning goal. Ever since, his name has been sung at Old Trafford in “You Are My Solskjaer,” to the tune of You Are My Sunshine. and “Who put the ball in the Germans’ net?”

Ole came to embody a sense of hope for United fans when they were sure a game was lost. When he came on late there was almost always a renewed feeling that United could come back to earn a draw or better when defeat seemed all too possible prior. Perhaps he benefitted from his role as a sub, expectations where never unrealistically high for him, so that when he did come on hiss contribution was a thing of magic. He could enter a tense, high-stakes game and place the ball in the back of the net as though he was playing in a reserves friendly.

But beyond his role on the pitch, he has become an ambassador for Manchester United. More importantly, in a time when it is all too easy to pick the Rooneys, Beckhams, Ronaldos, or Ronaldinhos (not undeservingly, I should add) of the football world as your favourite player, there are also those players like Solskjaer that can make you a true supporter of the game by going out and performing without the hype or the high-profile.

Here’s to Ole - and his long and successful coming career as a coach - he will be missed by the Reds and their supporters alike, but hopefully by all fans of football who will recognize that today the playing career of one of the classiest and most likable guys in the game has come to an end.

And for those unfortunate enough to not know the playing career of Ole, here’s some more video for you to appreciate.