Players told to suit themselves when representing club

OLE Gunnar Solskjaer insisted United players and staff wore their club suits to Wembley for their Premier League win over Tottenham.

United players almost always donned tracksuits for away games under Jose Mourinho, who relaxed rules for travelling attire, but the M.E.N. has been told Solskjaer was responsible for the change to Paul Smith suits for the Tottenham game.

Solskjaer has worn his two-piece club suit, white shirt and red tie for all six of his matches in charge so far and his mentor, Sir Alex Ferguson, was a staunch advocate of United players wearing suits to represent the club at away games and on European trips.

Former United manager Louis van Gaal was usually clad in a club suit and tie and ensured his United squad were suited for away trips.

United first-team coach Michael Carrick wrote in his autobiography how Ferguson pressed the importance of presentation and how awestruck he was as an apprentice at West Ham whenever United players arrived with their blazers on.

“At Manchester United, we took great pride in how we presented ourselves in public,” Carrick wrote. “’When you’re travelling through an airport, people will see you,’ Sir Alex said. ‘You represent the club. You wear your blazers.’ The Boss wanted to send a message, that we not only looked the part, but we also meant business. That look creates an aura.

“When Manchester United came to town [at West Ham] they’d be in their blazers and looked like they meant business. Seeing Sir Alex Ferguson for the first time made a deep impression on me.”