FORMER Manchester United manager and club legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has now admitted he grew up as a Liverpool fan.
The Norwegian spent over a decade at Old Trafford as a player and won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League during a glittering spell with the Red Devils.
EPAOle Gunnar Solskjaer in action for Manchester United in 2002[/caption]
Solskjaer showing the strain during his time as Manchester United managerGetty Images – Getty
Solskjaer returned to the club as manager in 2018 and was in the Old Trafford hot seat for three years.
He guided the team to the Europa League final in 2021 before they lost to Unai Emery’s Villareal on penalites.
The former Molde manager was sacked after a dismal start to 2021/2022 season and has potentially risked the wrath of the United faithful by admitting he was a childhood fan of arch rivals Liverpool.
Speaking on James Richardson’s Kings of Europe podcast Solskjaer revealed it was the strength of Liverpool’s team that led to him following them when he was growing up.
He said: “I must have been environmentally damaged because when you follow football, we had Match of the Day on every Saturday in Norway and of course, Liverpool were the better team in the 80s.”
The Norwegian continued: “They had Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush and all of those, so yes I followed Liverpool. I was one of the supporters who followed because they won everything.
“Hard enough to say as a Man United player but they were the better team in the 80s.”
The admittance represents a U-turn from Solskjaer who back in 2016 refused to confirm if reports of him supporting the Anfield club had any truth to them.
Speaking to FourFourtwo at the time he said: “You learn as long as you live, that’s the only answer I can give you. I never confirm that one! I’m a Manchester United fan through and through. I bleed red.”
Solskjaer has been out of work since he was sacked by Manchester United in November 2021.