Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says he is "honoured" to be appointed Manchester United manager on a permanent basis.

The former Red Devils striker has signed a three-year deal to stay on at Old Trafford after a successful stint as caretaker boss, having taken over from Jose Mourinho in December.

He has guided the club to the quarter-finals of the Champions League by seeing off French champions PSG, and has also overseen a dramatic turnaround in Premier League form.

Despite back-to-back defeats to Arsenal and Wolves before the international break, the Norwegian - who scored 126 goals in 366 appearances for United between 1996 and 2007 - was expected to secure the job permanently.

Image: Solskjaer has overseen a dramatic upturn in form

Speaking at a news conference hours after his permanent appointment was confirmed, Solskjaer said: "I'm happy, I'm honoured, it's the start of something new again. Now the hard work starts, the enjoyable work.


"I'm just going to be myself as I've always been. I know the expectations of the club, the traditions and the history, I want us to be successful and lift trophies, but I can't wait to get to the job of improving this great bunch of players because this is a squad with a lot of potential.

"We as a staff have worked with this group for three months and the improvement is there to be seen, but we know there is more to come from them."

Image: Solskjaer scored 126 goals for United during his playing days

United managed only 26 points from their first 17 games of the season under Mourinho and found themselves 19 points behind leaders Liverpool by the time he was sacked, and 11 points off fourth-placed Chelsea.

They now sit above Chelsea in the table and are just a few points behind Tottenham and Arsenal, who are their main rivals for a place in the top four and qualification for the Champions League next season.

No team in the Premier League has taken more points than United since Solksjaer took over, with their 32 points from 13 games beating the 31 from 14 earned by Liverpool.

Key players like Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba have also enjoyed a significant upturn in form and Solskjaer is targeting a top four finish to give him the best chance of strengthening his squad in the summer transfer market.

Image: Mourinho was sacked after a poor start to the season

Executive vice chairman Ed Woodward said: "Since coming in as caretaker manager in December, the results Ole has delivered speak for themselves.

"More than just performances and results, Ole brings a wealth of experience, both as a player and as a coach, coupled with a desire to give young players their chance and a deep understanding of the culture of the club. This all means that he is the right person to take Manchester United forward.

"I want to thank Ole and the coaching team for everything they have done so far and congratulate him on this richly deserved appointment. The fans and everyone at the club are behind him as he looks to take us where we need to be and build the next stage of our history."

Image: Solskjaer has been a fans' favourite for years

His former teammate and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville tweeted: "I'm delighted for Ole. I didn't think this would happen when he was appointed.

"However, the results and spirit in the club have been incredible since he arrived and he deserves it. He now needs support in the transfer market in terms of finance and the right resource!"

Solskjaer revealed he spoke to old boss Sir Alex Ferguson after securing the job full-time, saying it was one of the first phone-calls he made when his contract was signed.

Next up for United are Premier League clashes at home to Watford and away to Wolves, before they host Barcelona for the first leg of their last-eight Champions League tie on 10 April.

The second leg will be played six days later, and Manchester City and Chelsea will also visit Old Trafford before the end of the campaign.