United striker Solskjaer confirms retirement

LONDON, Aug 28 (Reuters) Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, scorer of the winning goal in the 1999 Champions League final, retired from football aged 34 today after a long run of knee injuries.

Solskjaer confirmed his decision on the club's Web site and said: ''I would like to thank the manager, the coaching and medical staff and most of all the supporters, who have supported me through my career.

''I feel proud to have represented Manchester United for 11 years and have some very special memories,'' he added.

United said that Solskjaer would remain at Old Trafford in a coaching capacity and would also fulfil an ambassadorial role.

Manager Alex Ferguson praised Solskjaer as ''a model professional'' and added: ''Ole will hopefully go on to be a good coach.'' The Norwegian missed close to three years of football -- and underwent three operations -- after suffering a cartilage injury in September 2003.

Although he returned last season to score 11 goals in 32 matches, that proved his final campaign. His last appearance came in the FA Cup final loss to Chelsea in May.

Solskjaer was virtually unknown in English football when he joined United from Norwegian side Molde in 1996 for a fee of 3.02 million dollar.

His slight build and boyish appearance belied a remarkable predatory instinct and he offered a sign of things to come when he scored within six minutes of taking the field as a substitute on his debut against Blackburn Rovers.

MOST IMPORTANT ''The substitute from hell'' was how his manager Alex Ferguson, writing in his autobiography, described a player who became renowned for making an impact after stepping off the bench.

He once scored four goals in the closing 19 minutes of a match against Nottingham Forest and it was apt that Solskjaer's most important goal should have come as a substitute in the 1999 Champions League final against Bayern Munich.

Solskjaer stabbed a close-range finish past Oliver Kahn in added time in Barcelona to seal a famous 2-1 comeback win for United.

In total, Solskjaer scored 126 goals in 365 games during 11 years at Old Trafford in the course of which he collected six Premier League winner's medals.

For Norway he netted 23 times in 67 appearances.

REUTERS BJR PM1905