11 September 2023 , 14:20
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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer picked Manchester United legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Paul Scholes in his dream six-a-side team, having played alongside some of the greatest footballers in the history of the game.
Solskjaer spent 11 years at Old Trafford as a player, helping them win six Premier League titles, the Champions League and two FA Cups. He most notably scored the winning goal in the 1999 Champions League final win over Bayern Munich, sealing a historic Treble for United in the process.
The Norwegian retired from football in 2007 and began coaching, initially working with United's youth teams before leaving the club in 2010. Solskjaer returned to United in 2018 after manager Jose Mourinho was sacked and ended up spending almost three years in charge despite initially joining as caretaker boss.
And during his stint as United's manager, Solskjaer was asked to name his dream six-a-side team made up of his former Old Trafford teammates. The forward initially planned to include himself in the team, but ended up changing his mind.
Edwin van der Sar got the nod in goal, with the Dutchman edging out Peter Schmeichel, while Jaap Stam was picked as the sole defender over the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Gary Neville.
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Former United captain Roy Keane partners Scholes in central midfield, with Ryan Giggs and Ronaldo leading the way in attack. David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Andy Cole, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Eric Cantona were all notable omissions that really highlight the wealth of talent Solskjaer played alongside in his time at Old Trafford.
"I'd definitely be in it," Solskjaer told Manchester United's official YouTube channel when asked to assemble a side of his former teammates. "If it's a six-a-side, small pitch, loads of finishing chances, no problem, I'll be in scoring goals.
Solskjaer picked both Paul Scholes and Cristiano Ronaldo in his dream six-a-side team (Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)"Edwin probably, maybe David [de Gea] but maybe I can't pick the ones I'm managing so I'd pick Edwin as the keeper. I'd have to have Jaap at the back. Giggsy would play with his skills. Cristiano, me, Keano and Scholsey. How many is that?"
Solskjaer was sacked as United manager in November 2021 and has not held a coaching role since. He has been linked with managerial roles at the likes of Burnley and Leicester and recently revealed he had rejected the opportunity to take charge of Norway's women's team.
"Yes, I have spoken to the association about the job as national coach, of course I have," Solskjaer told NRK, with Norway currently searching for a new coach following the recent Women's World Cup. "They have asked. But I'm not ready for that yet."
Solskjaer's dream six-a-side team: Edwin van der Sar, Jaap Stam, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Cristiano Ronaldo