Diaries, astuteness and work ethic: the making of Solskjær the manager | Jamie Jackson

In an extract from his new book about Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Jamie Jackson finds a future foretold during the Norwegian’s time as a Manchester United striker

See the three figures out on the green grass of Manchester United’s Carrington training base. Working in the hot June sun. Two are together, one stands apart. The two are practising finishing – the other encouraging, coaching, feeding them endless balls to try to score with. They are relentless in their quest to become better. They are Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Ruud van Nistelrooy. They are being schooled by René Meulensteen, a Dutch skills coach who will one day manage Manchester United reserves and have Ole as his assistant. Then one day René will be part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s inner circle, becoming first-team coach. For now, he is drilling Ole and his countryman Van Nistelrooy ahead of their coming internationals.

When he was on the bench, he was always looking at the game, analysing the game

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