Solskjaer aims to achieve ‘proudest moment’ by leading Manchester United to Europa League title
Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says he would like Manchester United to round off the coronavirus-affected season by winning the Europa League, which he says will be the ‘proudest moment of his life’.
United travel to Germany for the climax to the competition, which begins with tonight’s quarter-final against Danish outfit Copenhagen. A potentially tougher semi-final looms with either Roma or Sevilla.
Having already fallen short in two semi-finals this term – losing to Manchester City in the League Cup and Chelsea in the FA Cup – the Norwegian wants to go all the way.
“I am ambitious – and one of my dreams is to lift the trophy as a manager for this club,” Solskjaer said. “That would be the proudest moment of my life.”
The 47-year-old won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League as a player and scored the goal that clinched the 1999 treble.
He is coy about his contribution to that success but reiterated his desire to replay that with a trophy as manager.
“I owe my football career to this club so, to lift a trophy as a manager, would be the biggest achievement in my career,” said the former Molde and Cardiff manager.
“I was part of a fantastic team. Sometimes you just ride a wave on the sea you are in. The team I was in carried me,” the Norwegian said.
“Roy Keane [former United captain] would say his back was sore because he carried me! And he is probably right.
“I contributed as well as I could. But if I could lift a trophy as a manager, that would be the proudest moment of my career without a doubt.”
Solskjaer, who guided United to a Champions League spot for next season with a thirdplace finish in the league, says he and United chief executive Ed Woodward had formed a long-term plan when he replaced Jose Mourinho in December 2018.
“We put a plan together as a club 18 months ago when I sat down with Ed Woodward and it wasn’t going to be a quick fix,” he said. “We want to build. We have been to the semi-finals of the League Cup and the FA Cup and the next step is to get past that. That [Europa League] would be another step forward for this team.”