Solskjaer: 'Hopefully I've left a foundation at Man Utd'

- Everyone knows what this club means to me and what I wanted to achieve here. I wanted to give my all for the club, the fans, the players and the staff. I took the club to the next level to win the Premier League and other trophies. I think it should come from the inside. There will be many journalists asking to interview me, but I will not do any interviews. I wanted to leave Man Utd through the front door because I think everyone knows I gave my all for this club. Man Utd means everything to me and we have shown harmony. But unfortunately I did not get the results I wanted and it was time for me to stop.

- You have led Man Utd for nearly three years. Looking back, are you proud?

- Very, very proud. Of course, this job has been my dream all my life, from when I was a player, to coaching the reserves, and everything after that. The only dream I couldn't achieve was to manage Man Utd, but I got this opportunity. I felt very excited from the first minute to the last minute. So I have to thank all the players because since I arrived they have been top players and very likeable.

Solskjaer wishes his successor success on the foundation he has created.

I've made some great friends. I've reconnected with some great friends. I've made friends with some of the new staff. Some of the staff are still here from my previous stint. We've always been good friends, in constant contact. That's the nature of this club. The fans have been fantastic too. From my debut in Cardiff until today. They've always supported me, and we'll see each other again.

- You felt something special when you mentioned Cardiff. We have had many memories together over the past three years. But the first day was still special, right?

- Of course, Marcus Rashford scored after three minutes. But we had a great run. I don't know how many games we won but I'm proud of that, of the run we had. I think we set a record, the first 10 wins in a row. I'm not good with numbers but I know we did well. And the unbeaten run away from home. We didn't talk about it while it was going on because me, Mike Phelan, Michael Carrick and Kieran McKenna weren't that type of people. But now I can look back and be proud.

- Should we also mention the night upstream in Paris?

- Yes. That night was memorable. It was probably the first night my boys experienced what Man Utd really was. At that time Man Utd was in decline and everyone thought we had no chance against a strong team with many good players like PSG. But my boys showed character and pride of Man Utd. Of course I will remember that performance forever. I also have the photo and video of me, Sir Alex Ferguson and Eric Cantona celebrating in the dressing room. These memories are beautiful.

- What about rebuilding the squad? Is there any improvement between the squad when you arrived and the squad when you left?

- As I have said many times in interviews, I have always had the support of the club. The board and the owners have supported me in bringing good people, good players to Man Utd. And I think I left this club with a better squad than when I arrived. The working environment here is also great, making me feel proud even though I had to leave.

I don't want to say anything in advance. But the two times I left Molde, they won the league the following year. So I wish the next manager all the best.

- Did he leave a foundation?

- I think the team has a lot of potential. We all love Man Utd and want the team to progress.

- Has the Man Utd football academy been revived during your time as coach here?

- That's in the DNA of Man Utd. We're always looking to bring good players into the first team. Man Utd are very good at that. The academy is run by Nick Cox and of course my good friend Mark Dempsey has a role too. I'm sure the academy is doing well and there will be more young players coming into the first team.

- You have always had a great relationship with your fans, not just for three years but for the past 25 years. What is your message to them?

- What has happened is memorable. Please continue to support this group of players, you must believe in them. The fans have treated me very well, since my first kicks, when I scored from my first kicks, until now. And I am sure that we will meet again. Because if I need to go somewhere to watch a football match, I will choose Old Trafford.

- So we will meet again?

- Absolutely. If you want to sit in the front row with me, I'm ready. I'm very happy and proud of what I've done with my good friends. And I wish them all the best. The staff here have all been through criticism and so on, but the way they behave, the way they work with knowledge and careful attitude is something I admire. I usually drive to the training ground at 7am, sometimes 7:30am. I think: "I'm ahead of them today." But there's never been a day when I'm ahead of them.

- When you arrived, Man Utd finished sixth in your first season. Then the team finished third and then second. Do you feel that was a good result?

- I'm proud of what we did. The first season was great. And the third season, I really liked the final game when Jesse Lingard scored. The way we fought together to get third place was fantastic. It was a team effort. Last season, second place, among the best teams in Europe, I think was also a great achievement. And we were very close to winning the title in Europe. Sometimes the difference is just a penalty shootout. But we were very close, and I will always remember that. With the defeat in the semi-finals, I think we built a foundation. And I believe the boys are ready to continue fighting.

- Did not winning any titles make you sad during your time coaching Man Utd?

- Yes, you could say that. We would have done well if we had won the Europa League. But you know, trophies are not everything. We should have won that day. But the line is very thin. We all knew we had done well, reached the final and were close to our goal. We had to make a lot of good decisions along the way. Unfortunately, we couldn't score 11 penalties. You can laugh about it, but I look back on that moment with pride.

- The difficult time is over, what is your next plan?

- I will spend time with my family. The pandemic was the hardest time, with Norway open and England closed. My family had to move back to Norway and my youngest wanted to live there, so we lived apart. I will spend some time with my family. Then of course I will follow Man Utd and hope that the successor comes and I will support him. I want him to be successful. I hope I have laid the foundations for that to happen because I know I am good at what I do. I have certainly created an ideal football environment. And at some point I can return to football.

- Thanks for everything, Ole. Will you still be a Man Utd fan from afar?

- I still support the team and wish the players all the best. There are some very good players, very good people. I am sure we will see them give their best in the upcoming games.

- What do you want to say to the Man Utd players before the match with Villarreal?

- As I told them this morning, November 21, believe in yourself, because we can do better. We couldn't show that, but next time go out on the pitch, enjoy the joy of being a Man Utd player, playing in the biggest arena like the Champions League. If we win, Man Utd will go to the next round. Carrick will continue his work. I love everything about Carrick, and especially respect him. I am emotional when I see Carrick taking charge of the team. They will be fine. I will watch and cheer for them.

- You will always be welcome at Old Trafford...

- I hope so.

- It was a great talk. Thank you very much.

- Thank you very much. See you soon.