With an outstretched right boot, Ole Solskjaer wrote his name into Manchester United legend.Using the poacher’s instinct that has served him so well, he latched on to Teddy Sheringham’s nod down and diverted the ball into the roof of the Bayern Munich net.
“And Solskjaer has won it”. The recording of Clive Tyldesley’s commentary from that night at the Nou Camp still sends a shudder down every United fan’s spine.
Some even wake up to it as the recorded message on Manchester United alarm clocks.
Sheringham had equalised just moments before in injury time as United completed the most remarkable comeback in European Cup history to lift the trophy in 1999.
Few could have been more deserving than Solskjaer of that 2-1 win in Barcelona. But that is not the only reason he was adored by United fans. In an age of football celebrities, Solskjaer has always been a man who exudes humility.
Married with two children, you will rarely see him pictured in Manchester’s nightspots or in glossy magazines. He is simply a footballer and family man.
Once dubbed The Baby-faced Assassin, it seems almost inconceivable that at 34 his career is at an end.
He has undergone intense hard work in the gym, numerous operations, false dawns and heartache.
Now he has finally had to surrender to the knee problems that have blighted him since September 2003. Solskjaer had just scored United’s third goal in a 5-0 win over Panathinaikos in the Champions League when his knee went seven minutes later.
It seemed innocuous enough as he chased on to a Paul Scholes pass.
Solskjaer said: “My thigh bone and shin had knocked together and I got a hole in my cartilage.
“It just goes to show that you have to enjoy what you’re doing because the smallest things can cause the biggest problems.”
Since then, he only played a handful of games until last season when it seemed he had finally shaken off the problem.
In that campaign, Solskjaer made 30 appearances, 14 of them starts, scoring 11 goals. He was the club’s third-top scorer behind Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo. But, in June, he reported feeling some discomfort while training in Norway.
Solskjaer needed another minor knee operation — and this time it would be the last.
After much soul-searching with his family and manager Alex Ferguson, he has brought down the curtain on a brilliant career.
During the darkest days of his rehabilitation, Solskjaer gave an insight into what wearing the United No 20 shirt again meant to him.
He said: “It means everything to me to wear this red shirt again. That’s all that matters to me. I have seen myself playing again on many nights — but then I woke up.”
Life will initially be tough for a man who adored playing at Old Trafford and who was loved back in equal measure. One banner at the ground reads ‘2OLEgend’. His name has been sung consistently through his injury problems — something that has kept his spirits up.
He once said: “Obviously, it makes you feel proud.
“I think I now realise even more what that goal in the Nou Camp meant when I listen to the crowd.”
‘You are my Solskjaer’ to the tune of ‘You are My Sunshine’ and ‘Who Put the Ball in the Germans’ Net’, are two of the most popular songs on the Stretford End.
You can also bet the fans will be in full voice again on Saturday when United face Sunderland in the first game since Solskjaer decided to call it a day.
No doubt the club will bring him out on to the pitch for a final bow.
Solskjaer previously said: “There is something special about this place.
“I’ve always been the sort of person that when I feel for something, it sticks to my heart. Here, I felt welcome from the first day I arrived. The gaffer has been great to me.
“The club, the players — I couldn’t ask for any more.
“Every player that leaves here says you don’t know what you’re leaving until you’ve left because this is the place to be.
“This club means so much to me and I just feel totally at home here.”
As a child, Solskjaer trained as a wrestler — his father was a Norwegian national champion.
For someone so slight, he showed incredible determination and that has served him well throughout his years at United.
He was signed from Norwegian side Molde in July 1996 after United missed out on Alan Shearer, who opted for Newcastle.
When Tottenham offered £5.5million for him in 1998, Ferguson left the final decision up to the player. United fans and Ferguson are thankful Solskjaer decided to stick it out.
As well as starring for United for a decade he also made 67 appearances for his country, scoring 23 goals.
Solskjaer appeared for Norway at both the France 98 World Cup and Euro 2000.
His glorious career brought him 10 major medals for United — six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, a League Cup and, of course, the European Cup.
Once when asked why he was so loved at United, Solskjaer’s reply was typically humble.
He said: “I suppose because the fans know I have always given 100 per cent and I have done the best that I could do with the talent that I was given.”
He did much more than that — and Manchester United will never forget him for it.
