Ole surprised a group of aspiring female footballers at The East Manchester Academy, who train weekly with Manchester United Foundation girls’ development coaches.  Much to the delight of the young participants, the Reds legend joined in with some skills and drills, and couldn’t resist stepping into his coaching role, offering key advice and tips.

“It’s good to be able to support the Foundation and it’s a pleasure to help out,” said Ole. “I love seeing both girls and boys enjoying themselves playing football; hopefully they will remember some of the advice I gave them and we’ve made a difference by turning up today.”

The Norwegian manager’s presence certainly had an impact on 14-year-old Joyce.  She said, “We had no idea he was coming; all we knew was that we were doing a normal football session, so when he arrived it was so overwhelming and surprising as not everybody gets to see the Manchester United manager.  He got stuck in, played a bit of football with us and gave us loads of tips; it was really fun.”

Despite his new role at the club, Ole will be stepping back out onto the Old Trafford pitch for the Treble Reunion match on 26th May, alongside many of his 1999 teammates, as they take on FC Bayern Legends in a celebration match to raise money for Manchester United Foundation.

Ole continued, “Many kids struggle with school or in sports but football gives you breathing space and enjoyment so if we can raise money through the Treble Reunion to bring more coaches and more projects to the Foundation then that will mean a lot to the local community.”

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be joined up front for the Treble Reunion match by Teddy Sheringham, Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole whilst Jaap Stam, Denis Irwin and the Neville brothers return to the defence.  Fellow Class of ’92 stars David Beckham, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes make up the midfield with Peter Schmeichel back in net. Raimond van der Gouw, Ronny Johnsen, Henning Berg, Wes Brown, David May, Jesper Blomqvist and Jonathan Greening complete the squad.

Fans can also look forward to welcoming Sir Alex Ferguson back to the Old Trafford dugout, as he and his team celebrate lifting the FA Cup, Premier League and Champions League trophies during that iconic season.

For tickets, hospitality and more information please visit: www.manutd.com/treblereunion. All proceeds will go towards Manchester United Foundation’s work with young people across Greater Manchester.