Former Manchester United player and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær has admitted an interest in managing in England’s Championship as he looks for his next job.
The Norwegian earned cult hero status at Old Trafford as a clinical goalscorer, but found life more challenging when managing the Red Devils between 2018 and 2021. Solskjær received fierce criticism for United’s underperformance during his tenure, although recent head coaches have proven how challenging the post can be for managers.
The 52-year-old, who had previously coached Molde and Cardiff City before United, took several years out of management before jumping into his next role, but in January 2025 he was appointed as the new head coach of Turkish giants Beşiktaş.
However, he was sacked just seven months later and has admitted he’s willing to lower his expectations in search of his next role—with the Championship a tantalising proposition for Solskjær.
“I’m looking and I’m open. It’s not that I’m desperate to get back in but I’m open. I love living here [in England],” he revealed on The Overlap.
“When my kids ask me, of course, mid-Championship and up. I’m a football man. Is it Norway, it is Sweden, wherever. I’m a football man. It’s about working with people. I'm just trying to make them be the best version of themselves. Whenever I was playing Football Manager, I would start with a team [lower down].
“I’ve always defied the odds, that’s the way I’ve always been and I’d love to prove [myself].”
Solskjær, who briefly managed Cardiff in the Championship in 2014–15, would have three jobs available to him as things stand should he push for a return to England’s second tier, with Middlesbrough, Norwich City and Southampton all searching for new head coaches.
The Middlesbrough job, which was held by Solskjær’s ex-United teammate Michael Carrick as recently as June 2025, is the most recent vacancy after Rob Edwards departed to join Wolverhampton Wanderers.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Former Man Utd Manager Reveals Whether He Would Return to English Football.
