Proof nice guys can finish first

WHEN Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was hired by Manchester United I could not see how it would work.

He’d failed at Cardiff and, with all due respect to Norwegian football, being the manager of Molde cannot prepare you to be the manager of England’s biggest club.

I played against Solskjaer and our paths have crossed socially over the years. He’s one of those people you’d almost have down as being too nice to work in football given that it’s full of, well, the opposite.

But I have been genuinely stunned by what he has done at Old Trafford since taking over from Jose Mourinho, and I love the way he talks.

When he opens his mouth it’s almost as if Sir Alex Ferguson is talking.

He seems to start off like this wide-eyed little kid before catching himself and speaking like the greatest manager English football has ever seen.

I’d have no problem with Solskjaer (above) becoming the United manager now, and the romantic in me says give him the job and tell the world as soon as possible.

From a business perspective, however, I’d probably wait until the summer if I were Ed Woodward, just to make sure the foot doesn’t come off the gas the minute the ink on the contract is dry.