Pete Boyle:

"The Champions league finale made Solskjær historic. But, for me, the goal against Liverpool - FA Cup semi final (Boyle, you drunken too many Buds in Bishop's, it was not the semi final...) - was even more special. I hate Liverpool. In injury time, clever finish in the corner of the net. Solskjær ran over to us and kissed the crest, after rumours that he was off to Tottenham. But Solskjær will never leave us. When you see Ole's loyalty, how humble he is, it makes us love him. When Solskjær was injured, his song was sung at every game. I looked at Ole then. He was almost in tears."

Sir Bobby:

"I don't know anybody who makes his mind quicker than Ole. I am not just talking about strikers in the modern game - I have never seen anyone like him in the modern era. He is amazing and the atmosphere at his testimonial will be phenomenal."

Sir Alex:

Ole has 11 fantastic years he can look back on. Ole has achieved everything a player could ever wish to achieve. He has been a great servant to the club and has always remained a model professional in his responsibility as a player, in his demeanour and his manners have always been exemplary."

Ronaldo:

"He was a fantastic player, with whom I loved to played, not even for the way he plays but also for the person he really is. As a person, he is absolutely fantastic, spectacular, kind and very, very nice. I improved a lot just becuase I've played side by side with him. He taught me also lots of things and I grow up with him. And for that I have to say: Thank you, Ole! The pitches already miss him. Slaves together forever!"

Ryan Giggs:

"It ahs been a great privilege to work with Ole over the years, and it is a fantastic honour to be playing in his testimonial match. Ole has always been a Stretford End favourite, and the atmosphere will be electric."

Roy Keane:

(just a few snips)

"If all players was like Ollie Solskjær, the world of football would have been a much better place."

"When it comes to professionalism, Ollie is the most professional player I have ever met. By a large margin!"

"There have been some great goalscorers at United the last couple of decades; like Cantona, Hughes, McClair, Cole and Yorke. All of them knew where the goal was, but if we only got ONE chance inside the box, you always hoped it would fall to Ollie."

"All said though, I still give him grief about the chance he missed against Bayern Leverkusen" (semi-finale, CL, towards the end of second leg.

Gary Neville:

He has scored some of the most important goals in Manchester United's history. I am not sure he realises what he has achieved. Maybe one day...You don't meet many people like him in football. He is genuinely kind hearted."

Ronny Johnsen:

"It was no coincidence tat we came back and scored two goals in the Champions League final in 1999, and it was obviously no coincidence that it was Ole Gunnar who scored the winner. His finishing. It was world class.

Duncan Drasdo, leader of MUST:

""A few days before Glazer's purchase of the club, Ole was asked to become MUST's gaurdian. He knew the risk of this, but he replied without hesitance;

I am honoured. I think it is important that the club is in the right hands. I am standing by and supporting the supporters, and I believe the club is in good hands today. I am an United fan myself, and only wish what is best for the club in the future.

He later said:

It was easy, UNICEF had asked me to represent them, and that is a cause I think is incredible important, and it was an honour to be asked. I feel the same about the request from MUST. It was a cause just as close to my heart. The fact that MUST is by and for United fans is important. Eric Cantona, which has meant an awful lot to me, is supporting MUST and feels the same way about the club. I was never in doubt.

Jim Ryan - about the CL winning goal:

"He told me during the warm-up that something spectacular would happen to him today. He was 100% sure. When he scored, I thought I was taking part in a sci-fi movie!"

Stuart Mathieson - Manchester Evening News journo:

"In August last year, after he had announced his retirement, I called his agent to ask for an interview. As the locale Manchester newspaper which had covered his story for 12 years, we hoped for an exclusive to write the last chapter of his story.

It was an emotional and sad day for Ole, but the agent called back and said; 'stay by your phone at 8 o'clock, and Ole will call you.' And precisely at 8 the phone rang. It was Ole. Even on such a difficult day he was polite, understanding and balanced. His attitude was te same as the evening in May 1997 when I called him when he was celebrating his first league title with the club. As we talked, his doorbell rang, and I heard Ronny Johnsen sing as he entered the Solskjær family house. 'Ronny is here, would like a word with him too?' Ole said, and seconds later I had Johnsen on the phone and an even bigger story!"

In 1996 Mathieson bewildered asked a Norwegian journalist who had asked Mathiseson about a comment on the signing of Solskjær: "His name is what??"

Ole:

"I've always looked up to and admired my old man. I try to pass on what I have learned from him. That's how I think, that is part of my drive now. I want my kids to be proud of me. I want them to do the same, look and read my scrap books."

Ole's father, Øivind:

"We believe it is Ole's extra training on his own that made him an edge better than the other players. When he had done his homework, he immediately went outside to play football. And he shot at everything, constantly; walls, garage doors etc."

Fergie Tips Ole for Managerial Success

Sir Alex Ferguson says that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has given himself the best possible chance of surviving the perils of football management. The Manchester United manager has given the Norwegian his chance by putting him in charge of the reserve team this season.

Ferguson has always viewed the Norwegian as management material, believing him to be the 'best watcher of a game' he has come across. And while the Scot would not go so far as to say Solskjaer will be a success, he does feel he has made the best possible start.

"The situation today is that you get some potentially good young managers in the game and six matches later they can be out of a job," Ferguson said. "That tells you something about the knee-jerk reaction of football today. It shows the pressure of the press and how directors react to a couple of bad results.

"It is very difficult to say where people are going to be in two weeks' time, let alone two years. And I certainly would not want to talk about what is likely to happen at this club. It is not my domain. But I do know Ole is doing exactly the right things if he wants to stay in the game."

Now 66, Ferguson began planning for his own coaching career four decades ago and while the game has changed markedly since then, he does not feel the philosophy required to be a top manager has. "There are many handicaps in being a coach and it is a challenging job," he said. "But what you must do is create an enjoyable working environment for yourself and your players. For that you need enough time to lay out a vision for the future.

"It is worthwhile because then you can create a team ethic and be completely satisfied the players are all expressing themselves the way you want them to. You want to look at a team and you see yourself. The secret of management is to allow individualism to appear but accept the team comes first. Having outstanding observation is essential.

"I make the point to all our subs that when they sit on the bench they have to think about Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. He used to take notes on training sessions, which shows his keenness to learn the game. Now he is taking his badges, which is important.

"To go into this particularly hazardous job is not easy. You need to give yourself the best chance possible. There is no point going into management if you are short of knowledge or organisational ability or short of vision in terms of coaching. Ole is going the right way and I respect him for that."