Keane an inspiration, declares old friend Solskjaer
In Ireland to manage the Manchester United reserves in tonight’s Platinum One Challenge game against Arsenal reserves at Tallaght Stadium, Solskjaer took time out yesterday to speak of his huge admiration for the man he says he is proud to call a friend.
Said Solskjaer: “Roy, when you played for him — and I felt I played for him when he was captain — he was an inspiring, motivating figure, and a leader of a group. As a manager, he must be the same. If I was a young player, I’d want to work under Roy Keane. Me and Roy are close friends. He’s a top human being. You know that picture people have of Roy as a ranger and raver? Well, all he ever asks is 100% commitment. If you give that, you’re one of Roy’s favourites.
“I think he made a good move to Ipswich where he can work more on the quiet.
“I remember talking to Roy and saying to him ‘you’re going to be number two at United’ and he didn’t want to be a number two, he wanted to learn by making his own mistakes. Roy’s very humble; he knows he’s not the finished article. He may not be (the finished article) as a manager until 10 years from now.
“I’m not here to pick the managers of Man United but I know he’s got the mentality of being at a top club, yes. But no matter where Roy manages — Ipswich, Sunderland, Man United, Juventus, AC Milan, — he won’t have the same quality (on the pitch) as Roy Keane, the player, had.
“If I had to pick one player from all the players I played with, and I was the manager, Roy would be the one.
“Of course, you’d want Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Ronaldo, Cantona but if I had to pick one, it would be Roy.”
Speaking at United’s training base in Carton House about how he himself came so quickly to coaching after serious injury had prematurely ended his career, the affable Norwegian also gave an insight into just how persuasive Alex Ferguson can be.
“I’d promised my wife (Silje) that when I finished playing we were going to take a year off and go back toNorway. Because she’d come over to Manchester 14 years ago and stayed with me all the time — and that’s not easy.
“So then, two years ago, when I had to retire, I went to see the manager. I remember driving in, dreading telling him that I can’t play anymore. Because I’d just had a scan showing that I’m knackered. And he’s coming out to start training and he says to me, ‘How are you, son?’
I said, ‘I can’t do this anymore, I’ve got to retire.’ And he says, ‘Don’t worry, son, you’ve had a fantastic career, you must be happy with your career, what you did for me last year was fantastic — and why don’t you coach my forwards?’ So it took him 20 seconds to offer me a job. And you’ve got to give an answer there and then — after what I’ve already promised my wife. So the gaffer won again. But he did give me a couple of weeks off. And I’m still with my wife — we even had a kid after that!”
