Man Utd manager Solskjaer recalls brutal scouting trip – "Not interested"
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has recalled a hilarious yet brutal story from his time managing in Norway.
After a post-retirement stint coaching at United, Solskjaer began his career began his managerial career at Molde.
The 48-year-old spent a total of six years in charge of the Norwegian side, split only by an unsuccessful period at Cardiff.
And Solskjaer has recounted a brilliant story about how he once decided against signing a player for Molde – because of his haircut!
“Travelling around you see some quiet personalities,” he told Sky Sports.
“I once saw a player who walked through the tunnel and out onto the pitch… and he had a Mohican.
“I said to my scout ‘nah let's go home’. Not interested. Honestly. That was a very short scouting trip!"
Solskjaer was also asked about how he scouted Bruno Fernandes before he decided to sign the Portugal international, who has become a sensation at Old Trafford.
And revealing his first impressions on the playmaker, he said: “What you see close up [when scouting in person] is you see a bit of the personality.
“You see some of the good things and some stuff that you…
“I’d rather have Bruno's fire in the belly and desire, it's so important for him to win.
“He makes every decision for the referee, he makes every decision for the team-mates.
“What I saw was a guy who never, ever allowed anyone to rest, he wanted the best all the time.”
While in charge at Molde, Solskjaer watched a young Erling Haaland rise through the ranks.
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And Solskjaer revealed that having struggled with knee problems at a young age, it was clear how bright the future looked for the now-Borussia Dortmund striker.
He added: ”He came as a 16-year-old, of course, you never know with injuries, he struggled really badly with bad knees when he came. But I could see someone with a personality.
"I remember him brushing off and putting our centre-back and centre midfielders, two big, massive lads, he put them on the floor and asked them to get up. He's a winner.
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"He's got a great personality, of course. He's proving to everyone how good a player he is.
"We played against Zenit in the Europa League play-off and the referee came to me after and said, 'He'll play in the Champions League soon.' We did know.
"He's a top personality. I played with Alf [Haaland's father], he's a bit old school in that respect. He's a winner."
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