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Ole, Ole, Ole - 2OLEgend's testimonial v. Espanyol
2OLEgend
By Chris, August 1 2008
Old Trafford will pay tribute to Manchester United legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on Saturday afternoon as the Reds legend prepares for his testimonial. Espanyol de Barcelona are the visitors with Ole set to pull on the red jersey for one last time. The 'Baby Faced Assassin' spent eleven emotional years at United, netting 128 goals in the process.

Solskjaer possessed many of the qualities that are so often missing from the modern footballer.

He was hard-working, committed and totally dedicated to his club. He wasn't always the first-name on the team sheet - but Solskjaer was always happy to sit on the bench and take any opportunities that arose.

During his 11-year spell as a United player he made 365 appearances for the Red Devils - 217 of which were from the start. His 128 goals included some of the most important in the club's history - including, of course, the winning goal in the dramatic 1999 European Cup final at the Nou Camp.

Other memorable moments include Solskjaer's four-goal haul from the bench during an 8-1 win at Forest, and a similar quadruple strike during a 5-1 thrashing of Everton the following season. On a personal note, Ole's last-gasp winner against Liverpool in the fourth round of the 1999 F.A Cup - where we'd been 1-down just moments earlier - is one of my favourites MUFC moments.

Sadly, injury forced Ole to hang up his boots at the age of 34. He stayed with the club in a coaching and ambassadorial capacity - and has got off to a superb start as the club's new reserve-team boss; with the Lancashire Senior Cup sown up following his first competitive game in charge.

Saturday will provide a chance for United's fans to pay tribute to a truly memorable career. The fans are delighted that Ole is still playing a prominent role at the club - but it will be great to see the prolific forward pull on the red jersey one last time.

The afternoon is all about Ole - but Espanyol, 7/1 underdogs with the bookies, have vowed to be competitive. They go into the game on the back of a 4-0 pre-season win over Swansea City and will be keen to impress ahead of the new Spanish season.

Solskjaer will be using all proceeds from the testimonial match to fund the construction of schools in the southern African country of Angola. A fantastic gesture from a true gentleman - there's only one Ole Gunnar Solskjaer!

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