Speaking Backwards And A Manager At 13 - The Solskjaer Story

The Football Interview is simply a caller bid successful which nan biggest names successful athletics and intermezo subordinate big Kelly Somers for bold and in-depth conversations astir nan nation's favourite sport.

We'll research mindset and motivation, and talk astir defining moments, profession highs and individual reflections. The Football Interview brings you nan personification down nan player.

Interviews will driblet connected Saturdays crossed BBC iPlayer, BBC Sounds and nan BBC Sport website. This week it will beryllium shown connected BBC One astatine 23:35 GMT (and aft Sportscene successful Scotland).

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is simply a Manchester United legend.

As a player, he scored their Treble-clinching injury-time victor against Bayern Munich successful nan 1999 Champions League final.

It was 1 of 126 goals he scored successful 366 appearances for nan club.

The Norwegian later managed nan Red Devils for 3 years from 2018 - guiding them to 2nd successful nan Premier League and besides nan Europa League last successful 2021, earlier he was sacked aft a mediocre tally of form.

Capped 67 times by Norway, he played for his state astatine nan 1998 World Cup - their past quality connected that stage, though they person precocious qualified for adjacent year's tourney successful North America.

Solskjaer sat down pinch Kelly Somers to talk astir his childhood, his legendary extremity successful nan Nou Camp, why he would person been an accountant if not a footballer, and his dreams of managing his state successful nan future.

Kelly Somers: Ole, bully to spot you. Let's commencement pinch football. Why football? Why did you extremity up successful nan game?

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: Because shot is nan champion crippled successful nan world. I deliberation it's specified an easy game. It connects everyone. But for me, I can't retrieve life without shot since I was young. I deliberation my mum and dad, they told maine 1 of nan first things I kicked was 1 of nan lamps. So I conscionable enjoyed kicking! It's fixed maine my life. Everything.

Kelly: Can you retrieve a infinitesimal erstwhile you thought not only could playing shot beryllium thing you bask but potentially, 'I could make it'.

Ole: Not really because arsenic a kid I ever utilized to people goals, but erstwhile I sewage to 15/16 I was a very precocious developer, truthful past I thought I wasn't going to make it successful shot and I thought I would conscionable bask football. Then I went into nan service erstwhile I was 19 to 20 and that astir apt said OK, I wasn't going to beryllium a footballer - but erstwhile I sewage backmost from nan service I went for it for a mates of years and abruptly I was successful nan under-21 nationalist squad and playing for Molde and did well.

Kelly: That's rather a journey, isn't it? And that's rather a alteration to spell from football, army, football. What did being successful nan service do for you?

Ole: It made maine much independent. I had to turn up. Suddenly I wasn't surviving pinch my mum and dada and my sister immoderate more. I deliberation I became a batch much mature. I learnt a batch socialising pinch group from different places successful nan country. We were placed location together successful a room of six aliases eight, and we conscionable had to get on. It was a awesome year, actually.

Kelly: Is it mandatory to spell into nan army?

Ole: Yeah

Kelly: So you ever knew you were going to person to do it?

Ole: Yes, unless you person a typical talent aliases possibly you're successful nan nationalist teams and each this.

Kelly: Didn't you person a typical talent?

Ole: No, I didn't. We had for illustration an service shot team... we had a training convention possibly erstwhile aliases twice. There was for illustration a Norwegian title of service teams. I was not successful nan squad successful my camp, truthful that's different thing... 'OK, I cognize I'm amended than him, I will beryllium amended than him' ... but it's different people's position successful that possibly I wasn't possibly beardown capable aliases large capable successful that team, truthful it was a benignant of a revenge erstwhile you look backmost and say: 'OK, they didn't judge successful me, but I showed each of them.'

Kelly: You had an illustrious playing career, but of people it's headlined by Manchester United. Talk to maine astir nan first clip you knew of a anticipation to travel complete present to England - to 1 of nan astir dressed up clubs successful nan world?

Ole: So for Norway, this is astir apt 1 of nan astir important games successful my career. We played Norway against Azerbaijan and I scored 2 very bully goals. Coincidentally, Jim Ryan - nan adjunct head - was watching Ronny Johnsen, who we signed. He was sitting adjacent to Mark McGhee, who astatine that clip was Wolverhampton manager, chatting arsenic they do. Mark McGhee is looking for a centre-forward, Jim Ryan's watching nan crippled and I people 2 goals. So he thinks, 'OK, Wolverhampton will astir apt motion this boy'. He rang Sir Alex [Ferguson] that nighttime and said: 'I deliberation I recovered 1 and he won't beryllium expensive. It's a inexpensive one, but we've sewage to beryllium speedy because Wolverhampton are besides signing a centre-forward.' It went really, really fast.

Kelly: That must person been a whirlwind for you...

Ole: Brilliant. Absolutely top. But past you're ne'er 100% judge until you signed nan deal. But I much aliases little knew, truthful earlier my past crippled for Molde, I said to Age Hareide, who was nan coach, that if I scored, I'm going to return my garment off, propulsion it into nan stands and tally disconnected nan pitch. He said: 'No, you can't do that... but [if you person to] hold until 10 minutes earlier full-time.' That's precisely what happened. I deliberation I scored a 5th goal, 5-1, and I conscionable threw nan garment and ran disconnected nan transportation and we had nary subs fresh to travel on, truthful we had to play a fewer minutes pinch 10 men. It was a whirlwind of a time. The media were extracurricular my apartment. They wanted interviews and I conscionable tried to enactment distant from each that.

Kelly: Was that each new? Like a full caller level of fame?

Ole: Of course. Because 18 months earlier Manchester United, I played for Clausenengen, my section team, successful beforehand of 50 people, truthful it was a large measurement up successful attention. But I deliberation I've been rather OK successful handling these situations.

Kelly: I ever inquire players - and pinch you, it feels moreover much salient because you've played successful immoderate of nan biggest games - if you could relive 1 crippled from your career, what would it be?

Ole: Of course, nan Champions League last successful '99. I was 80 minutes connected nan chair for illustration really unhappy pinch nan head - 'why don't you put maine on?' - and we're losing nan crippled and football's truthful emotional. You're truthful debased and you want to get connected nan pitch. So 80 minutes of existent agony but past I managed to play 15 minutes and those 15 minutes I'd really emotion to play again. It changed history, of course. It changed my life. It didn't make maine a amended footballer but that changed my life arsenic successful we made history and I was nan 1 that was fortunate capable to people that goal. And truthful galore men person travel up to maine and thanked maine for giving them nan champion infinitesimal of their lives. [They say] 'Don't show my wife, please, will you?'

Kelly: You mentioned earlier that you were irritated pinch Sir Alex. Obviously you would person ever wanted to start, but you gained this unthinkable reputation, didn't you? As a ace sub. I cognize each footballer wants to commencement each game. How did you clasp that?

Ole: I had discussions pinch Sir Alex. I signed a long, semipermanent contract. What I did was I put my profession successful his hands really. I much aliases little said to myself: 'Just do your best.' I've seen truthful galore strikers sulking erstwhile they're connected nan bench. I felt, 'OK they've played 70 aliases 80 minutes, defenders are tired, I tin travel on, I tin make a difference, I'm fresh, arsenic agelong arsenic my caput is caller and my mentality is good'. If we were winning 1-0, I was ne'er going to travel on. At 0-0 I was like, 'don't score, don't people until he puts maine on'. At 1-0 down, yeah, decidedly I americium coming on. At 2-0 up, he would ever springiness maine nan 15-20 minutes conscionable to make maine consciousness portion of it. He was very bully astatine giving maine capable minutes but I knew astatine 1-0 conscionable to beryllium down arsenic you're not going to travel on. So 1-0 down against Bayern, I was like, 'come connected then, it's for illustration 20 minutes...' It is 1 of nan champion 13-15 minutes of my shot career.

Kelly: When did guidance go nan thing?

Ole: When I was a kid, I was very into football. Me and my relative ever utilized to bargain nan Rothmans Yearbook each twelvemonth and that was our bible. We knew each subordinate successful each section successful England and we utilized to make our ain game, for illustration a guidance game, that was nan astir apt nan prequel to nan Championship Manager game. We should person copyrighted that one! We were really for illustration nerdy, freaky into football, and I was ever playing nan machine games, nan guidance games alternatively of Fifa, wherever you play. I've ever been into coaching aliases guidance and picking teams. I utilized to coach nan younger boys successful my section streets. We utilized to make a thoroughfare squad for these tournaments and I was nan boss.

Kelly: How aged are you astatine this point?

Ole: 13 aliases 14. So astir apt I've ever had this head successful me. Then I played astatine Manchester United, and I didn't cognize if I had nan characteristic to beryllium a manager. It is different to managing now. Then I sewage injured, and that's nan infinitesimal wherever I decided I request to enactment successful nan game. That's nan clip wherever I decided I will commencement each these coaching courses and starting to constitute immoderate Sir Alex says.

Kelly: I publication location that you wrote everything, you kept a notebook?

Ole: Not everything, but yes I did abruptly commencement to effort to - alternatively of conscionable being a subordinate that was told. I was learning from nan champion coach successful nan world. How does he get nan champion retired of each these players? What does he do tactically? What is he changing successful his unit and changing nan players? I conscionable started keeping much of an oculus connected him and that portion of football.

Kelly: It is nan biggest nine successful nan world, 1 of nan biggest clubs. You knew that arsenic a subordinate but arsenic a head that unit - peculiarly erstwhile things are not going correct - must person been really tough?

Ole: I retrieve 1 game, against Everton. I'm stood location successful my method area, 4th charismatic adjacent to me. [Everton manager] Carlo Ancelotti comes across, truthful he's much aliases little successful my method area, and nan 4th charismatic says: 'Carlo, you request to get backmost into your method area unless you want Ole's job.' Carlo, arsenic Carlo is, he's ever sewage a remark and a smile. He said: 'No, no, no. Too overmuch pressure. That occupation is excessively overmuch pressure.' So he walked backmost to his method area and I thought, 'pressure is simply a privilege'. He ever said that arsenic well.

I felt privileged to beryllium nan head of Manchester United, but of people it's not nan aforesaid arsenic playing. As a player, you conscionable do your job. Suddenly now you're nan manager, you're nan look of everyone. You deliberation astir each these supporters, players, everything surrounding Manchester United. But that unit is simply a privilege because I was allowed to do that and I was allowed to woody pinch it successful my way. And that was having awesome unit astir us, an situation successful and astir nan nine that was very positive. But successful nan end, it doesn't matter if you bask coming to activity each day, training sessions... you request results and we unluckily had a very bad six -week spell and that's excessively agelong astatine a nine for illustration Manchester United and they made a change, which is fine. Reflecting backmost connected it, it was sad. We mislaid to Watford of course, and I knew this was much aliases little nan end. I drove my family to nan airport, they went backmost to Norway, and I was going to work. I sewage a matter - 'Ole, I request to spot you successful my office' - and I knew what was going to happen, truthful I rang my woman and said: 'I'll drawback you up, I'll astir apt beryllium backmost location earlier you!'

Kelly: Did it consciousness a spot sudden?

Ole: Sudden but not surprising. If you don't get results, you do make a change, that's football. But I felt we had thing going.

Kelly: Do you consciousness for illustration erstwhile you look backmost connected your play successful complaint that now group understand - fixed what's happened to Manchester United since and nan struggles? Do you deliberation you're fixed possibly nan in installments that you merit for your time?

Ole: It's not astir getting nan credit, but it was nan worst clip to beryllium nan head of Manchester United. You person Jurgen Klopp pinch his Liverpool squad and you person Pep Guardiola pinch his Manchester City team. Best managers successful nan world astatine nan clip and astir apt nan 2 champion teams successful nan world astatine nan time. But we sewage 2nd and third. So pinch nan staff, we had thing going but we couldn't return nan adjacent steps. Hopefully we tin get backmost arsenic a nine later on.

Kelly: What was it for illustration increasing up successful your household? What tin you remember?

Ole: Me arsenic a kid, obviously, astatine schoolhouse shot successful each recess aliases each break.

Kelly: Did you activity difficult astatine school?

Ole: I was decent astatine schoolhouse and my champion taxable was maths, truthful if I wasn't a footballer I astir apt would beryllium an accountant aliases thing pinch numbers aliases maths.

Kelly: You are a dada now - 3 children - and you've passed nan shot bug on, I hear?

Ole: I deliberation they're environmentally damaged! They each play football.

Kelly: And a small spot of history - your girl made an quality for Manchester United Women. I deliberation you are nan only father-daughter operation to person some played for Manchester United. That must make you incredibly proud?

Ole: I was really, really proud. It was an FA Cup crippled and we drove down. It was really bully to spot her. Her passion is football, she loves football. They emotion shot and they bask it.

Kelly: Does your woman for illustration shot aliases does she person nary choice?

Ole: We met connected nan shot pitch, much aliases less. She was a very talented footballer. We utilized to person successful Kristiansund each Tuesday and Thursday for illustration a talent group that utilized to train astatine 7 successful nan morning, 7 until 8 earlier school, and she was successful that. Who wakes up astatine six to spell shot training? You spell location to impressment aliases beryllium adjacent to personification that you person a keen oculus on. That is nan logic I sewage up successful nan greeting really - to play shot pinch Silje.

Kelly: Tell maine 1 point astir yourself that mightiness astonishment me?

Ole: I amazed you by saying I would person been an accountant, but I utilized to publication and speak backwards, truthful I was rather bully astatine that - reference backwards.

Kelly: How does that travel about?

Ole: I don't cognize - it's conscionable that's astir apt my consciousness of organising structure, seeing structures. More aliases little each every car I thrust and you look astatine nan licence plates and really tin I rearrange those letters, aliases that number, aliases something.

Kelly: Your encephalon is ever going, isn't it?

Ole: My encephalon is ever going, yes, astir of nan time.

Kelly: If you could only execute 1 much point successful your career, what would it be?

Ole: Not lifting a trophy for Manchester United arsenic a head - that's thing that I would person liked to achieve. Hopefully we tin do good successful nan World Cup pinch Norway, but past possibly to beryllium nan adjacent one, who knows? You ever group targets.

Kelly: You mean to beryllium nan adjacent Norway manager?

Ole: Next Norway manager. My friend Stale [Solbakken] is location now. We're playing really well, we're going to nan World Cup. I do really, really for illustration managing. It is simply a great, awesome occupation being nan head of eager young men who want to execute thing together.