Holding Out For A Hero

ManUtd.com's Adam Marshall on Treble legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer...

Standing behind the goal in Barcelona’s awe-inspiring Camp Nou 16 years ago this week, I had one wish throughout the second half as Manchester United attacked in my direction – that somebody would emerge as a hero and turn the Champions League final with Bayern Munich around.

Teddy Sheringham and David Beckham both had major parts to play in the most glorious of revivals but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer became the iconic figure who would be forever adored and revered by the fans who had already taken him to their hearts.

After the ecstasy that greeted the comic-book climax to the 1999 Treble season, I still get a chemical reaction to Ole’s goal when I watch it again, I recall leaving the ground and imagining the status Solskjaer would enjoy having etched his name into the club’s rich history, winning Europe’s greatest prize for the first time since 1968, before I was born.

’Who put the ball in the Scousers’ net?’, a reference to another dramatic injury-time strike in the FA Cup against Liverpool, was upgraded to include ‘Germans’ instead with impressive haste, but my mind fast-forwarded to a time when the Norwegian had long retired.

I had sat enthralled at a sportsman’s dinner in London a few years earlier when Jack Charlton, Sir Bobby’s brother, relayed his personal commentary on England’s World Cup triumph in 1966. The audience listened intently as he relived conversations with team-mates, including our own Nobby Stiles, and shared the sheer colour of the occasion. I imagined Ole doing something similar in years to come at one of the suites at Old Trafford, with many football followers desperate to hear his personal account of that moment in time, even if they might not be old enough to remember it themselves - let's face it, even some of our Under-18 players this season were born after that fateful evening.

A few weeks ago, Solskjaer was in Bahrain meeting United supporters in his capacity as a club legend, courtesy of official sponsors VIVA. It feels too soon to truly match what I had envisaged on that night in the Catalan capital but it was another reminder of how quickly time passes. The man himself remains remarkably humble and almost bashful about his elevated status with the supporters. The banner ‘20legend’ was very apt.

”For me now, I’ve been away a few years, so it’s nice to be remembered,” deadpanned the former striker. “It’s great to meet the fans. They do mention the goal against Bayern Munich, yes!

”I think it’s just part and parcel of being at Manchester United. If you are there for a few years, you will win trophies. I think that is what is so tempting for players to come to the biggest club in the world, knowing they get so many great memories, along with the trophies, and can talk to their kids about playing there as I do now.”

The worldwide support can astound those who are not accustomed to life at Old Trafford but Solskjaer has first-hand experience of the magnitude of Manchester United. “You know, nothing surprises me about United any more,” he confessed. “It has just become bigger and bigger. When I joined the club in 1996, it cannot even compare to now nearly 20 years on.”

Family is coming first for the 42-year-old at the moment, so he has not undertaken many official legend appearances yet but I suspect he’ll be retelling the story of 1999 to countless fans because there will never be a shortage of people willing to discuss that night, one the faithful still sing about at most matches.

Credit: manutd.com