As
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer announces his retirement from playing, ManUtd.com’s Steve Bartram gives his take
on the Norwegian’s sparkling Reds career… [www.duaberita.com]

It’s safe to say you’re going to see a fair few
replays of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Champions League-winning goal against Bayern
Munich over the coming days.

The Norwegian’s instinctive flick
of a boot in

Barcelona

ensured his place in United folklore
and instantly became an iconic moment in the Reds’ history.

So, now that
Ole has announced his retirement from football, you can expect to relive that
magical moment in the Nou Camp again and again. Which is fine. Don’t get me
wrong, I could watch that match on a perpetual loop and still fill up with pride
every time.

One of my biggest bugbears, however, has always been that the
importance of Ole’s winner seems to have overshadowed what has been a glittering
career.

A banner simply declaring ‘20LEGEND‘ hangs poignantly on the Stretford
End second tier as a reminder not just of May 26, 1999, but of the indelible
mark Ole has made on Manchester United throughout his career.

Had
Jonathan Greening, for example, left the Nou Camp bench and poked a winner past
Oliver Kahn, it’s safe to say there wouldn’t be a flag flown in his
honour.

The Norwegian’s legendary status was pretty much secured
regardless of events in Barcelona. A gentleman off the pitch and a
predator on it, Ole endeared himself to supporters with his commitment,
professionalism and, of course, his goals.

“Ole is a marvellous
finisher,” Sir Alex once said of the lethal marksman. “The lad is one of the
best finishers I have known. We have had a few good natural finishers at the
club but he is exceptional.”

Barcelona aside, there’s the four-goal
cameo at Nottingham Forest and the injury-time FA Cup winner against Liverpool -
all from the Treble season – and many, many more besides if you’re looking for
examples.

My own personal favourite moment of Ole’s career has nothing to
do with his goals, however, more the moment his relationship with United fans
was set in stone.

18 April, 1998. An injury-beleagured United were
limping towards the finishing line of another hard-fought title race with
Arsenal. By this point, while still mathematically well in the hunt to retain
the trophy, the Reds were down to the bare bones and the Gunners had built up an
unstoppable momentum.

Ole was thrown into the action against

Newcastle

with the score
locked at 1-1. United were laying siege to the Magpies’ goal, but just couldn’t
get a vital winner. With a minute remaining, such was United’s commitment to
attack, that one cleared corner left Magpies midfielder Rob Lee with a free run
on goal from inside his own half.

Having only been on the field 10
minutes, Ole used his freshness to sprint after Lee in a nail-biting race.
Should United concede, that would be the season over. The gap continued to
narrow until Lee got to the edge of the United area, when Ole flung himself into
an awful challenge and was, quite rightly, sent off.

In ensuring the foul
was outside the box, however, he had prevented an almost certain goal and a
potential penalty. In recognition, he was handed a standing ovation by the Old
Trafford crowd.

It’s not the proudest moment of Ole’s career, I’d
imagine, and he was carpeted by Sir Alex for his lack of sportsmanship after the
game, but it was a deliberate self-sacrifice which laid bare his worth as a
player and a man.