Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has insisted that one of his fellow Manchester United legends would demand “100 per cent” from his teammates “every single day” at Old Trafford.
The 51-year-old Norwegian former forward had a prolific playing career at Old Trafford after Sir Alex Ferguson brought him to Manchester United in the 1990s.
Signed from Norwegian side Molde in 1996, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer became a key figure in Sir Alex Ferguson’s teams of the past and made a lasting mark at United.
Solskjaer thrived at United and hoovered up the major silverware at the Red Devils, including lifting six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and a Champions League.
The former United star is inextricably linked to the Red Devils’ iconic treble-winning side after his famous heroics in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich.
Solskjaer’s playing career at United saw him often fighting for his place in the starting XI, with the Red Devils legend making a sensational impact from the bench.
Following his illustrious playing career, Solskjaer later returned to Old Trafford and became United caretaker manager after Jose Mourinho’s sacking from the club.
Solskjaer’s scintillating spell at United as caretaker manager led to his permanent appointment in 2019, with the Norwegian’s reign at Old Trafford lasting until 2021.
Solskjaer praises Man Utd legend
During his time as Manchester United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer led the Red Devils to a second-place Premier League finish and a Europa League final.
However, the United legend would leave the Premier League club without any silverware as a manager, with Solskjaer sacked from his post at Old Trafford.
Despite his mixed spell as a manager, the Norwegian remains a beloved figure at United and has openly spoken about his time in the Red Devils dugout.
Solskjaer spent a large part of his United playing career alongside Roy Keane, who is considered one of the best captains of all time.
Roy Keane, who inherited the captain’s armband from Eric Cantona, excelled under former manager Sir Alex Ferguson and had a lasting impact at Old Trafford.
Solskjaer has opened up on the elite mindset of the Irishman and how Keane would ‘push’ his United teammates and “wanted to count” on them all the time.
“When we played, we used to have a few fights,” he told FourFourTwo magazine.
“He demanded 100 per cent every single day. He pushed the players and wanted to count on his teammates all the time.”
Solskjaer on Man Utd legend Keane and ‘trouble’ claim
Keane was known for his no-nonsense approach both on the pitch and off it, with the 52-year-old Irish hardman pulling no punches when necessary.
The Sky Sports pundit was a commanding box-to-box midfielder during his time at Old Trafford and is thought of highly for his legendary spell at United.
Solskjaer insisted that Keane loved to moan as a player – something he still does on punditry – and claimed that it was a sign that showed he cared about a teammate.
In fact, the former United star claimed that the moment that Keane stopped moaning at a player was a clear sign that they “were in trouble.”
“The day Roy stopped moaning at you, you knew you were in trouble,” Solskjaer continued.
“It meant he’d given up on you. He never stopped shouting at me, so he saw something in me.
“When I saw him stop shouting at certain individuals, I used to think, ‘You’re finished, you’re done.’ And they usually were.”