Premier League: Manchester United appoint Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as club's full-time manager on three-year contract

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been appointed Manchester United's full-time manager on a three-year contract, the club announced on its website on Thursday. The former United forward had been in temporary charge since replacing the sacked Jose Mourinho in December.

File image of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. AP

Under the Norwegian, United won 14 out of 19 games, losing just once in the Premier League. During this period, United have achieved some significant results that include away wins at Arsenal and Chelsea in the FA Cup. The highlight of his fledgling reign at the Old Trafford though came in Paris where United successfully overturned a 2-0 deficit to knock Paris-Saint German out of the Champions League and a book a quarter-final berth in the process. Domestically, United have amassed more points than any other Premier League side since Solskjaer took over, even ahead of high-flying Liverpool and Manchester City.

Thus the decision to place Solskjaer in permanent charge of the club seemed on the horizon for quite sometime before United made it official on Thursday.

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Speaking to the club website, Solskjaer said he was "beyond excited" to have got the chance to lead the club for the longer haul. "From the first day I arrived, I felt at home at this special club. It was an honour to be a Manchester United player, and then to start my coaching career here. The last few months have been a fantastic experience and I want to thank all of the coaches, players and staff for the work we’ve done so far. This is the job that I always dreamed of doing and I’m beyond excited to have the chance to lead the club long-term and hopefully deliver the continued success that our amazing fans deserve.” the Norwegian expressed.

Ed Woodward, Manchester United's executive vice-chairman, hailed Solskjaer's ability to promote youth and stressed upon his deep understanding of the culture of the club as being a key reason behind the decision.

“More than just performances and results, Ole brings a wealth of experience, both as a player and as a coach, coupled with a desire to give young players their chance and a deep understanding of the culture of the club. This all means that he is the right person to take Manchester United forward," Woodward was quoted saying in the press release posted on the United website.

The announcement could serve as a boost to the remainder of the campaign with United looking to script an unlikely Champions League triumph and squeeze into the top three in the Premier League.

As a player, Solskjaer scored 126 goals in 366 appearances for United between 1996 and 2007 and also managed the club’s reserve team until the end of 2010.