Say Ole! Solskjaer on way back

DURBAN: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insists he is  determined to make up for lost time at Manchester United after showing glimpses of his former self with a two-goal display in Saturday’s 4-0 Vodacom Challenge win against Orlando Pirates in Durban.

Norwegian striker Solskjaer, 33, helped United record a winning start to their pre-season tour of South Africa with two first-half goals before being replaced by Chinese youngster Dong Fangzhou.

Solskjaer has spent the last two-and-a-half years battling a series of career threatening knee problems. But having now proved that he is back to full fitness, he admits that he is desperate to force himself into the reckoning for United’s Premiership opener against Fulham at Old Trafford on August 19.

“I’ve missed nearly all of the last two seasons, so I’ve been looking forward to this new campaign for a long, long time, but the main thing is to keep getting match-fitness and try to get ready for August 19.

“It’s been a while since I’ve scored a goal for the first team and although it’s more about getting the match-fitness at this stage, a goal or two obviously helps.

“But with a lot of the lads being away at the World Cup as well, it’s important that all of us who didn’t go to Germany have a good pre-season so that we can challenge for the first team.

“I do feel sharper and fitter than I have for a long time and I’m just enjoying every game and enjoying every training session now,” he said.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who insisted that there have been no new developments on Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Old Trafford future since the Dutch forward’s transfer request last Friday, has taken a mixture of youth and experience to South Africa due to several of his key players being given an extended summer break following the World Cup.

Baby-faced assassin

Full name: Ole Gunnar Solskjær
Date of birth: February 26, 1973
Birthplace: Kristiansund, Norway
Height: 5’8”
Country: Norway
Nickname: Baby Faced Assassin, Supersub, Ollie
Current club: Man U (Since 1996)

• Ole did not leave the club when an offer of £5.5m came from Spurs, among others in 1998
• United fans were eternally grateful as he went on to score the winning goal in the Champions League Final in 1999 against Bayern Munich, securing the astonishing Treble and cementing his own place in United folklore
• These feats, as well as his likeable demeanour, have made Solskjær a firm fans’ favourite, inspiring many songs from “Who Put the Ball in the Germans’ Net?” to “You Are My Solskjær”
• Only Cantona and Keane have a similar standing with United fans