Manchester United have appointed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as their interim manager until the end of the season, having leaked the news on their website yesterday.
The Old Trafford club sacked Jose Mourinho on Tuesday morning following their worst-ever start to a Premier League season.
United are currently sixth in the table, 19 points behind league leaders Liverpool, and have come in for criticism for their conservative style of football this season.
Mourinho was relieved of his duties during a face-to-face meeting with executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward at the Carrington training ground, with the news then being announced in a 65-word statement on their website.
United have now appointed Solskjaer as interim manager until the end of the season, with Michael Carrick having taken charge of the first team in training on Tuesday.
The club appeared to give a huge hint as to Mourinho’s successor when videos regarding Solskjaer were uploaded yesterday.
A video of the Norwegian striker’s highlights bore the caption ‘The most famous night of Ole’s career: Solskjaer becomes our interim manager, 20 seasons after clinching the Treble with THAT goal at Camp Nou’.
Solskjaer scored the winner in the 1999 Champions League final as Manchester United beat Bayern Munich, cementing his place as a club legend.
The 45-year-old finished his playing career at Old Trafford before becoming reserve team manager in 2008, overseeing the development of stars such as Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard.
Pogba has found himself on the bench in recent weeks after a breakdown in his relationship with Mourinho but the arrival of Solskjaer, who currently manages Molde in Norway, could revitalise his season.
Meanwhile, Lingard has two goals in his past three Premier League outings and may be another academy player to benefit from a change in management when United travel to Cardiff this weekend.
A lengthy injury list hampered Mourinho’s team selection during his final few weeks in charge, but what starting XI will Solskjaer pick if all United’s key men are fit?