Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has expressed his willingness to return as Manchester United manager, saying he would “say yes every day of the week” if approached by the club.
Solskjaer, 51, has been out of management since his dismissal in November 2021, after nearly three years at United. He originally took charge on an interim basis in December 2018 following José Mourinho’s exit.
Despite leading United to a second-place finish in the COVID-affected 2020-21 season, Solskjaer struggled to secure any trophies. His departure came after a string of poor results, including a 5-0 loss to Liverpool, and six defeats in 11 matches.
With current manager Erik ten Hag facing mounting pressure after just three wins in eight games this season, Solskjaer has hinted that he would be open to a return if the opportunity arises.
“If the family [United] asks, I would say yes every day of the week,” Solskjaer said in a Q&A at the Oslo Business Forum. “It feels wrong to talk about jobs that other people have now, but I would say yes, of course.”
Ten Hag, meanwhile, urged patience from United’s supporters in his Thursday news conference ahead of their clash with Tottenham on Sunday.
“Still we are working and progressing, we made a choice to sign very young players,” he said. “We believe in them this moment and also for the future.
“We have to build them. That takes time. I am impatient, I want to go straight forward, but also we had success in two seasons.”
Since parting ways with Manchester United three years ago, Solskjaer has taken on the role of technical observer for UEFA, where he contributed to the Euro 2024 technical report after attending the tournament in Germany this summer.
While he has been rumoured to be considering managerial positions with clubs in Turkey and the Middle East, Solskjaer expressed interest in the possibility of coaching the Norwegian national team.
With current head coach Stale Solbakken likely to resign after Norway’s 2026 World Cup campaign, Solskjaer indicated that he would welcome the opportunity to step in when the position opens up.
“I am a proud Norwegian, and of course if the question arises, when Ståle decides to give up, I will happily engage in discussions,” Solskjaer said. “I am a proud Norwegian and proud of where I come from.”