OLE WE SALUTE YOU

Last updated : 12 May 2004 By Editor

Red Issue’s editorial brought you inside news of Ole’s long term injury problems a few months ago and BB told you in January the rumour that Celtic was a likely summer move for him. We still hope neither’s true but the Sun certainly seem to think so. Five years on from Barca let’s make sure he gets a good cheer in Cardiff regardless and comfort yourself with the fact that Forlan will be more likely to stay, ahem:

Ole Solskjaer is set to say an emotional farewell to Manchester United at this month’s FA Cup final. The Norwegian forward looks likely to leave Old Trafford this summer for around £3million, with Celtic his likeliest destination.

A knee operation has forced him to miss most of this season. He has started only 10 games, scoring just one goal. In the meantime, boss Alex Ferguson has bought Louis Saha, Cup-tied for the Millwall date on May 22, to partner Ruud van Nistelrooy up front.

Ferguson also sees Darren Fletcher as the long-term fixture on the right flank, where Solskjaer played at the end of last season. The Scot has been preferred in two of United’s last three games. Solskjaer, who has spent eight years at the club, has never wanted to leave Old Trafford and turned down a move to Tottenham in 1998.

But, at 31, he needs first-team football and those chances are growing fewer with United. Solskjaer signed in July 1996 for just £1.5m from Norwegian side Molde. The ‘Babyfaced Assassin’ will be best remembered as the ultimate supersub.

The player has kicked off 199 games but come on in 128, scoring 115 goals — including the 1999 European Cup final winner in injury time.

Meanwhile from TeamTalk:

Nicky Butt says he wants to stay at Manchester United after becoming a key part of the team following his January transfer request.

"The only thing I was thinking about was that at my age I needed to be playing a lot of games. I didn't want to be sitting down in five years time when my football career is over and thinking what might have happened if I had done this or that.

"At the time I felt I wasn't playing enough or maybe it was time to move on but that has gone past now and I have two more games with United and whole end of season with England and the future is not in my mind at the minute.

"To be honest the transfer window is not a nice thing. You can rush things and make a wrong decision and basically it was a case of "am I going to play?

"I don't really think England came into it to be honest, I just didn't want to rush into anything for the sake of a four week championship at the end of the season. I have got the rest of my career to think about and I have always said that if I did leave this club it would be a really hard decision and not something I would take lightly.”