Ole Gunnar Solskjaer appointed Manchester United permanent manager Solskjaer: "From the first day I arrived I felt at home at this special club... this is the job that I always dreamed of doing"

Manchester United have confirmed the appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as their permanent manager on a three-year contract.

The former United striker, who was appointed as the club's caretaker boss in December following the dismissal of Jose Mourinho, will meet the media for the first time as full-time boss in a news conference at 4pm.

Solskjaer has won 14 of his 19 matches in charge, helping to propel United back into the race for a top-four finish.

As well as improving the club's league form, the Norwegian masterminded a memorable comeback in the Champions League last-16 tie against PSG earlier this month, with United overturning a two-goal first-leg deficit to set up a quarter-final tie against Barcelona.

"From the first day I arrived, I felt at home at this special club," Solskjaer told the club's website.


"It was an honour to be a Manchester United player, and then to start my coaching career here. The last few months have been a fantastic experience and I want to thank all of the coaches, players and staff for the work we've done so far.

Sky Sports News reporter James Cooper says Manchester United 'would have had a riot on their hands' had they not have appointed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as permanent manager.

"This is the job that I always dreamed of doing and I'm beyond excited to have the chance to lead the club long-term and hopefully deliver the continued success that our amazing fans deserve."

Ed Woodward, United's executive vice chairman, added: "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."

United had endured their worst start to a campaign in 28 years prior to Solskjaer's arrival and sat 11 points adrift of the Champions League places.

Former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen says Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has dramatically improved the mood at the club since taking over.

Solskjaer led United to a 5-1 victory over Cardiff in his first fixture in charge, sparking an eight-match winning run in all competitions which included successes at Tottenham and Arsenal.

United also enjoyed a 12-match unbeaten run in the Premier League before suffering their first league defeat under Solskjaer - a 2-0 loss at Arsenal.

United currently sit in fifth place, just two points off fourth-placed Arsenal, as they prepare to host Watford at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Live Premier League

Manchester United's remaining fixtures March 30, 3pm Watford (H) April 2, 7.45pm Wolves (A) - live on Sky Sports April 10, 8pm Barcelona (H) April 13, 5.30pm West Ham (H) April 16, 8pm Barcelona (A) April 21, 1.30pm Everton (A) - live on Sky Sports April 24, 8pm Manchester City (H) - live on Sky Sports April 28, 4.30pm Chelsea (H) - live on Sky Sports May 4, 3pm Huddersfield (A) May 12, 3pm Cardiff City (H)

The Solskjaer impact

Since Solskjaer's appointment at Manchester United, the Red Devils have won a league-high 32 points and no side have won more games than they have (10).

Solskjaer enjoyed six successive league wins at the start of his tenure - the best winning sequence by any Manchester United manager ever from the start of their managerial reign.

Solskjaer has the best win ratio (76.9%) and points per game ratio (2.46) of any Manchester United manager in the Premier League as it stands.

Manchester United's 3-1 victory over PSG in the Champions League tie was their ninth successive away victory - all coming under Solskjaer. That streak was the longest ever by a Manchester United team in all competitions.

Neville: Hard work starts now for Ole

"I'm delighted for Ole first and foremost. When he was first appointed, I never envisaged that he would get the permanent job. I remember at the time, I was talking about Mauricio Pochettino being the number one candidate and Ole just coming in to steady the ship and get everyone happy again, but the results and performances have been beyond incredible really - almost flawless.

Gary Neville says Manchester United must make sure Ole Gunnar Solksjaer is surrounded by the 'right people' to continue his successful start as Manchester United manager.

"People will point towards the Wolves and Arsenal games but generally, in the last three or four months, the performances have been fantastic, as have the results, so I'm delighted for him, the hard work starts now. I always said that end of March, start of April was the right time to reflect and if it had gone past today, I would have been thinking that Ole wasn't going to be the permanent manager of Manchester United because it ultimately would have been delayed until the end of the season."

Inside story: Why Ole, why now

Sky Sports News reporter James Cooper explains why Manchester United have backed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to take the club forward in the long term - and why they chose to make the announcement when they did.

READ HERE

Player reaction

Who should Solskjaer sign?

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Now Solskjaer is permanent Manchester United manager, who should he sign this summer? Could Gareth Bale be lured to Old Trafford? Might Jadon Sancho be tempted to return to England?

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How Solskjaer improved key men

As well as overseeing an upturn in results, Solskjaer has reignited the form of several key players at Old Trafford.Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford and Romelu Lukaku stand out because of their improvement after struggling under Jose Mourinho earlier in the campaign…

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba says Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has given the players the confidence to play again since he has taken charge at the club.

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