Ole Gunnar Solskjær

Early career at Clausenengen

Solskjær debuted for Clausenengen (CFK) at 17 years old in 1990. He participated in the Otta Cup, scoring seventeen goals in six matches. On 21 May 1993, CFK faced Molde in the Norwegian Football Cup, with Solskjær scoring Clausenengen's only goal in their 6–1 defeat. Clausenengen were promoted to the 2. divisjon in 1993, winning the 3. division by 12 points. Solskjær's final season at the club was in 1994, with him scoring 31 of CFK's 47 goals, helping the club achieve a mid-table finish of sixth place. In Solskjær's five years playing for Clausenengen, he averaged more than a goal a game in the league, scoring 115 goals in 109 matches.

Molde

1995 season

On 14 February 1995, ahead of the start of the new season, he was signed by Åge Hareide, manager of newly promoted top-flight club Molde, for a fee of NOK150,000. On 22 April 1995, Solskjær made his debut for Molde against Brann, scoring twice in a 6–0 victory. In his second game on 29 April, Solskjær scored a hat-trick helping Molde 5–4 win over Viking. On 14 May, he scored another brace in a 2–1 win over Hamarkameratene. Two days later, he netted a hat-trick as Molde thrashed Hødd 7–2. Solskjær scored a penalty in Molde's 4–1 victory over Strindheim on 30 July. On 10 August, Solskjær played in his first European competition, the qualification round for UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, against Belarusian team Dinamo-93 Minsk. Molde conceded in the first half but Solskjær…

Solskjær made his international debut in a friendly match against Jamaica on 26 November 1995, just a few months before he joined Manchester United. The game finished in a 1–1 draw with Solskjær scoring the only goal for Norway. He continued his great goal scoring start by scoring three goals in his first competitive appearances for the national team during the 1998 World Cup qualifying campaign. Solskjær played in both the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000 for Norway. He formed a feared partnership with Tore André Flo which was seen as one of the best striking partnerships in Norway's history. Following his lengthy layout to injuries Solskjær made his full game comeback on 2 September 2006, when he scored the first and last goals in a 4–1 win against Hungary in a Euro 2008 qualifying match. They would be his last goals for the national team taking his tally up to 23 goals. On 7 February 2007, Solskjær made what proved to be his final appearance for Norway in a 2–1 defeat against Croatia, he finished with a total of 67 appearances for his country.

Solskjær was nicknamed "the Baby-faced Assassin" in the British media throughout his career, due to his youthful looks and his clinical finishing. He also earned a reputation as a "super-sub" in the press due to his penchant for scoring goals after coming off the bench. Although he was primarily deployed as a striker throughout his career, he was also capable of playing as a wide midfielder on either flank.

Solskjær was born in Kristiansund, Møre og Romsdal to Øyvind, a Greco-Roman wrestling champion, and Brita Solskjær. At the age of seven, he joined local football club Clausenengen, who were in the 3. divisjon. Solskjær supported Liverpool as a child. Between the ages of eight and ten, he followed in his father's footsteps and trained as a Greco-Roman wrestler, but gave it up due to being tossed around too much. Between 1992 and 1993, Solskjær completed a mandatory year's national service in the Norwegian Army.