‘Man Utd stars turned down captaincy – others tried to force their way out’

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed some of his players turned down the chance to be Manchester United captain during his reign as manager.

The 50-year-old, who was sacked in November 2021 after almost three years at the helm, has opened up about his time in the United hotseat in a wide-ranging interview. Solskjaer led United to respectable third and second-place finishes during his two full seasons at the helm, although he failed to deliver a trophy or make an impact in the Champions League.

The Norwegian struggled to control some of the big egos in the dressing room, with many outside observers believing he was made to look weak by some of his most high-profile stars. In an interview with The Athletic, Solskjaer was asked if he was thrown under the bus by certain players, as some of his former team-mates have suggested.

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“No. Not really,” he said. But he did reveal that some players turned down the chance to wear the United armband.

“Some weren’t as good as their own perception of themselves,” he added. “I won’t name names, but I was very disappointed when a couple turned down the chance to be captain, which disappointed him.

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“I was also disappointed when others said they wouldn’t play or train because they wanted to force their way out. There was stuff in the media after I left about how I treated some players, which were complete lies, but I had a solid, honest relationship with most of them.”

Solskjaer was speaking after securing a new job as a UEFA technical observer having turned down the chance to manage Norway’s women’s team. In the same interview, he revealed he had turned down several offers to work in the Saudi Pro League.

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"I’ve had offers,” he said. “Most recently, two from Saudi Arabia. My best mate, who is also my agent, sifts through them. If you’ve managed Man United, you put your own criteria about what you want to work with.”

On his new role with UEFA, he added: "My role with UEFA means watching Champions League matches in person. I can watch teams from a different perspective than being a manager: analyse them, solve problems, see how both teams will try to hurt each other."

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