Ole Gunnar Solskjær (born February 26, 1973) is a Norwegian football player who currently plays for Manchester United (since July 1996). Before he came to England, he played for Clausenengen F.K. and Molde F.K.. He is married and has two children. Solskjær is 1.78m tall and weighs 74kg. February 26 is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1973 was a common year starting on Monday. ... Football is a ball game played between two teams of eleven players, each attempting to win by scoring more goals than their opponent. ... Manchester United is an English football club based at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester. ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Religion... Molde F.K. is a Premier division football club from Molde, Norway. ...

When Alex Ferguson failed to sign Alan Shearer, he settled for this then unknown Norwegian striker. Solskjær had scored 31 goals in 42 matches for Molde F.K. in the Norwegian Premier League, and he did not disappoint at the start of his United career, scoring six minutes into his debut as a substitute against Blackburn in the Premiership. Alex Ferguson Sir Alex Ferguson (born Alexander Chapman Ferguson December 31, 1941 in Govan, Glasgow) is a Scottish football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United F.C.. He has won more trophies than any other manager in the history of English football and been in charge of Manchester... Alan Shearer Alan Shearer, OBE (born August 13, 1970) is a successful English footballer. ... The Norwegian Premier League is the top football league division in Norway. ... Blackburn Rovers is an English Premier League football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. ... International sponsored FA Premier League logo The FA Premier League (which, for sponsorship reasons, is often referred to as the Barclays Premiership in the UK and the Barclays English Premier League internationally) comprises the top 20 football clubs in the league system of English football. ...

Solskjær scored 18 Premiership goals for United in the first season, helping United win the title in the last weeks of the season. The British media nicknamed him the "Baby-Faced Assassin" because of his youthful looks and his deadly finishing. He has the ability of a super-sub as well, and earned wide acclaim for coming on and scoring four goals in the last seventeen minutes of United's 8-1 thrashing of Nottingham Forest, incidentally also United's biggest away win ever. Nottingham Forest F.C. are an English football club, based at the City Ground, which is just outside the official boundary of Nottingham on the south side of the River Trent. ...

Ole enjoys life at Old Trafford and didn't leave the club when an offer of £5.5m came from Spurs, among others in 1998. United fans were mightily grateful, as the slightly built Norwegian went on to score the winning goal in the Champions League Final in 1999. He is a firm favourite, inspiring many songs from "Who put the ball in the German's net?" to (to the tune of "You Are My Sunshine") "You are my Solskjær." Old Trafford (2001) Old Trafford football stadium (given the nickname The Theatre of Dreams by Bobby Charlton) is the home of Manchester United F.C., one of the most famous football clubs in the world. ... Tottenham Hotspur F.C. is a North London association football team, also known by the nickname Spurs. ... Champions League Logo European Champion Clubs Cup The UEFA Champions League is an annual international inter-club football competition for Europes most successful clubs. ...

He finally got the chance as a starter in 2001/02, alongside Ruud van Nistelrooy, and he took the chance with characteristic incisiveness, forcing Andrew Cole and Dwight Yorke onto the subs bench, in his usual place. Ruud van Nistelrooy (full name Rutgerus Johannes Martinus van Nistelrooij, see letter IJ; born July 1, 1976 in Oss, North Brabant, Netherlands) is a Dutch football player currently playing for Manchester United. ... Andy (Andrew) Cole (born October 15, 1971) is an English footballer. ... Dwight Yorke (born November 3, 1971 in Canaan, Tobago) is a Trinidad and Tobago football player. ...

By 2002/03, both Andrew Cole and Dwight Yorke had left Old Trafford and Solskjær had only the hardly prolific Diego Forlán to compete with for places, but Ferguson's persistence on playing Ruud van Nistelrooy up front on his own meant that opportunities were still limited. Diego Forlan (born May 19, 1979) is a Uruguayan footballer. ...

However, he still got his chance when David Beckham picked up an injury and the versatile Norwegian was played on the right wing. He proved himself to be a fine crosser of the ball, and still managed to pop up with crucial goals, sixteen in total for the season. It was testament to his brilliant form that he was selected to play on the right wing in crucial matches, in the league against Arsenal and in a Champions League quarter-final tie with Real Madrid, while Beckham was left on the bench. David Beckham David Robert Joseph Beckham OBE (born May 2, 1975) is an English footballer born in Leytonstone, London. ... Arsenal Football Club (also known as Arsenal, The Arsenal or The Gunners) is a football club from north London, and one of the most successful clubs in English football. ... Real Madrid Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club, ranked as the worlds most successful club for the 20th century by the governing body of international football (FIFA), just ahead of Manchester United. ...

In 03-04, Solskjær found himself in and out of the United squad as he struggled with a reccuring knee problem. With the arrival of Fulham's Louis Saha in January 2004, Solskjær found himself ousted from the United First team and returning to his original 'supersub' mantle, or indeed moving to an attacking midfield position. Solskjaer returned from injury in time to appear in the 2004 FA Cup final, which United won. However, the arrival of Alan Smith in the summer of 2004 led to rumours that he was to leave Old Trafford, touted as one of several names, along with Nicky Butt, who eventually went to Newcastle United and David Bellion offered as part-exchange for the impressive Wayne Rooney. He underwent intensive knee surgery in early August 2004 which has resulted in him missing the entire 04-05 Premiership season. Despite United's heavyweight strikeforce conceivably limiting the 32-year-old's chances of playing even when he is fit again, the Old Trafford faithful still hope to see him play for United again. Fulham Football Club is a football team based in Fulham, London. ... Louis Saha (born August 8, 1978 in Paris, France) is a French international footballer who plays for Manchester United. ... Alan Smith (born October 28, 1980 in Rothwell, Leeds, England) is an English football player. ... Nicholas Butt is a professional footballer for Newcastle United, having moved there from Manchester United after the 2003-04 season. ... Newcastle United Football Club (NUFC) is an English professional football team based in Newcastle upon Tyne, nicknamed the Magpies. Newcastle United supporters are known as the Toon Army. The club currently plays in the FA Premier League. ... David Bellion (born 27th November, 1982) is a French footballer, who currently plays for Manchester United F.C.. He was signed by United from Sunderland in 2003, the Wearsiders being pleasantly surprised to receive an initial £2,000,000 for him. ... Wayne Rooney playing for the England football team Wayne Rooney (born 24 October 1985) is a professional footballer who currently plays for Manchester United and the England national football team as a striker. ...

To show Solskjær that he has not been forgotten while out injured, the United faithful have added a banner to the famous collection that lines the Stretford End reading "20Legend." Solskjær recently became a patron of the fans action group Shareholders United which is dedicated to fighting the takeover of Manchester United. Shareholders United is a not-for-profit, democratic and non-party political organisation whose members are Manchester United F.C. supporters holding shares in Manchester United plc as part of their emotional stake in the club. ...

For Norway, Solskjær played in the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 and has appeared over 60 times for his country. The 1998 Football World Cup was held in France. ... The 2000 UEFA European Championship, or Euro 2000, was the 11th edition of the UEFA European Championship, a competition between the national football teams of Europe held every four years and organised by UEFA, footballs governing body in Belgium and the Netherlands between June 10 and July 2, 2000. ...