Ole Gunnar Solskjaer overlooked Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi while identifying the greatest player of all time.
Over the last twenty years, Messi and Ronaldo have solidified their positions as two of the greatest players in the world.
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Together, they have amassed every major trophy and accumulated 13 Ballon d’Or awards, with Messi holding the record for winning the prestigious individual accolade eight times.
Yet, when posed with the question of selecting the greatest player ever, ex-Manchester United manager Solskjaer disregarded both Ronaldo and Messi.
Instead, the Norwegian chose Diego Maradona, who previously coached Messi’s national team and shares nationality with Solskjaer.
Maradona, alongside Pele, was honored by FIFA as the Player of the 20th Century, following a tumultuous career highlighted by leading Argentina to victory in the 1986 World Cup and securing two Serie A titles with Napoli.
“Maradona is the greatest ever player,” Solskjaer insisted to National News. “And I was lucky enough to meet him. He didn’t really speak English.
“It was at Old Trafford when I was the Cardiff manager and watched United v Liverpool. We got battered.
“Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush were sat behind me. I put my cap down. I was with my assistant Demps [Mark Dempsey], and he said ‘There’s someone across the table who wants to speak to you’. I looked across and it was Maradona. He came across.”
Meanwhile, Solskjaer conceded he was eager to return to management, but was waiting for the right opportunity, having been sacked as Man United manager in November 2021.
“It’s not that I’m looking for a job because I’m enjoying my time [off], but I’m ready for a job,” he says.
“Something that triggers you, that you fancy, that you can achieve something.
“I like working with people that share my values. I’m also coaching FC Clausenengen/Kristiansund under 16s.
“We have an important game on Wednesday. And I’m doing my Uefa stuff analysing games. I watch games all the time but it’s a nice way of keeping your head in that tactical frame.
He added: “I don’t like to sound arrogant, but when you’ve been the manager of Manchester United you’ve had the highs. You spent your life at United and made enough money – so it’s not about the money, it’s about the challenge.”
