SOLSKJAER - 10 YEARS ON

He put the ball in the Germans' net, he put the ball in the Scousers' net, and he even put the ball in Nottingham Forest's net four times in 11 minutes.

These three things though don't come close to half of the 20LEgend.

Solskjaer last week celebrated 10 years at Old Trafford, the only "foreign player" to reach such a feat.

As a true Red it seems disloyal to label the Baby Faced Assassin with a "foreign player" tag as he has captured mine as well as millions of other Red Mancunian's hearts around the World.

When Solskjaer was struck with seemingly continuous knee injuries it seemed as we had seen the last of the player, even Sir Alex himself thought he was finished. The only man who never doubted for one minute he'd be back was Ole himself.

He had the belief and dedication to get his dream of a return in the Red of United, knock back after knock back he maintained the heart when most would have given up and he is back.

He made it back against Burton Albion and Birmingham City to stir the emotions in United fans around the World. Even then though, it seemed as if they were the last throes of a truely remarkable career, a career diamond studded, laced with golden highlights, memories and a commitment to the cause, the United cause in a time of mercenary footballers.

And here we are on a brink of yet another season and Sir Alex has the faith in Solskjaer to bury the space left by another Red legend, Van Nistelrooy as one of five strikers this term.

The United faithful took to him from the outset on his debut in 1996 versus Blackburn Rovers when he scored, six minutes after coming on as a sub. The Baby Faced Assassin netted 5 times in 233 minutes of football, only one of those as a starter which was the birth of the "Super Sub" tag which has grown to irritate him throughout his United career.

He went onto grab 18 goals in his first season as United regained their Premier League trophy, though he couldn't nail a first team spot.

Teddy Sheringham was bought into replace Eric "The King" Cantona, the following Summer Dwight Yorke was shipped in from Aston Villa for £12.6m and it seemed Ole was destined to be frustrated at Manchester United.

He would not be denied though and he saw being sat on the substitutes bench as a challenge and an opportunity. Tottenham Hotspurs offered £5.5m for his services, he turned it down after United had paved the way for him to go grab first team football.

Yorke's arrival meant another obstacle to get over, but he had none of it. Any move from United was a step down and Solskjaer wanted to stay, something which the gaffer was encouraged by.

The field was set for Solskjaer's knee-sliding, tear jerking, heart stopping winner in the Nou Camp on the 26th May 1999. That image of Solskjaer will stay in any United's fans memory who witnessed that great night but that is not all he brought to the historic Treble campaign.

His 18 goals in 18 league games, capped off by the four goals versus Nottingham Forest in 11 minutes in an 8-1 win was sensational.

Oh yeah, he also "stuck the ball in the Scousers' net" that year in the FA Cup Fourth Round in the dying minutes of a tie Manchester United at one stage were losing.

Yet the "Norweigan Manc" couldn't hold a spot down in the first team until 2002, when David Beckham injured his infamous metatarsal and Solskjaer replaced him with ease scoring 16 goals in that season in a new role.

The following season though the troubles started, he picked up an injury versus Panathinaikos in a Champions League game which lead to extensive knee surgery. Following his comeback last Christmas the future was still dull, and Fergie had at one stage prepared to deliver the news that all in Red had dreaded.

Then Solskjaer popped up at a training session, a spring in his step, a twinkle in his eye, and United backtracked.

Even when a fractured cheekbone sustained in a reserve team game in March added to the supporters' fears, Solskjaer was not giving up the ghost.

Ferguson responded by handing him a new two-year deal and outlining his intentions to keep him at OT for as long as he could, as a coach and an ambassador.

It's not the end for Solskjaer, or even the beginning of the end. There is no end to legend.


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