Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insisted everything is “step-by-step” by that he’s eager to restore Manchester United to the level “where they belong” after being named permanent manager.
The Norwegian was finally confirmed as Jose Mourinho’s successor on Thursday, having overseen 14 wins in 19 league games since taking charge of the club.
“Everything is step-by-step. You can’t make radical changes. Each manager, each cope has different ways of playing, training. But we are a huge club with tradition. I know we will be successful,” Solskjaer said.
“I am just going to be myself as I’ve always been. I know the expectations. Of course, I want to be successful, to lift trophies.”
Relive Solskjaer's first press conference as United boss below.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been appointed the Manchester United manager on a permanent basis.
The 46-year-old fans' favourite has overseen a dramatic transformation since being named caretaker boss in December.
Solskjaer has brought smiles and a swagger back to a United side that had been toiling under divisive former manager Jose Mourinho.
The Norwegian has overseen 14 wins from his 19 games in charge, reviving top-four hopes while progressing to the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a jaw-dropping win at Paris St Germain.
Solskjaer's work over the last 99 days has seen the interim role turn into a permanent job, with the 1999 treble hero signing a three-year deal at Old Trafford on Thursday.
He will meet the media at the Carrington Training Ground on Thursday afternoon and we will have all the latest updates right here.
"From the first day I arrived, I felt at home at this special club," the former United striker said of his appointment earlier this morning.
"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."
Solskjaer is expected with us shortly.
The Norwegian was finally appointed on Thursday in a move that represented a huge about-turn from when he was installed as caretaker in December, and the club are highly conscious of the need to get this managerial tenure right after three qualified failures.
There is already feeling that Solskjaer is more in tune with their overall plans in the market - in contrast to Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal - as he is prioritising a young team with backbone, youth and speed. As such, United are willing to spend hundreds of millions this summer, and are prepared to break their transfer record if required.
The latter might be essential if they are to land their top two targets, of Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho and Real Madrid's Rafael Varane. United have at least been encouraged that interest in the two has not been rejected out flat, but both would individually cost over £100m.
Madrid have proven reluctant to even discuss long-term United target Varane in the past, but there is a sense that is changing for the summer, which has seen the French World Cup winner leap ahead of Internazionale's Milan Skriniar in their options.
Samuel Umtiti could represent an alternative option, too, given Barcelona would now sell the French international.
Among the other names United are looking at are Crystal Palace's Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Chelsea's Callum Hudson-Odoi.
You know how people say they’ve got their dream job? That’s more true to me than to anyone!
This has been my ultimate dream - this dream has always been in my mind. I’m so honoured & privileged.
When I got the job, we were 11 points behind fourth. Now we’ve given ourselves a great chance to be in the top four, even the top three. The Premier League is vital for us & we’ve spoken about how to move the club forwards. We will do some business this summer.
I have spoken to Sir Alex. I'm not going to discuss what we spoke about but it's one of the first phone calls you make.
I am just going to be myself as I've always been. I know the expectations. Of course I want to be successful, to lift trophies. I can't wait to get into the challenge of improving this great group of players... we know there's so much more to come from them
It's about creating an environment that everyone wants to be a part of so everyone can be their best self. That's given everyone at the club the freedom. Of course, when you win games, you'll be happy, the supporters will be happy, players will be happy.
It's up to us now to keep moving forward, keep making progress, we have to improve because we're too far behind where we want to be.
Everything is step-by-step. You don't make radical changes. Each coach, each manager has a different way of playing. We are a huge club with loads of tradition. I know we will be successful but it's about taking it step-by-step.
What's in the future [would mean more to me than the past]. What I've done before as a player doesn't matter, because I'm always looking forward. I want to look back and have won trophies here. That's what I would be more happy with. It was fantastic of course to work under the best manager in the world and the best players in the world. Now, I'm at the top and I'm working with them.
To lift the Premier League trophy again is what we expect, what we're used to, what we've done so many times. We can't wait for too many years but it's not like it's going to happen overnight, to catch 15,16,17 points or whatever we are behind.
There's been so many players that have been written about that we've been interested in. There's so many agents that have been in touch with us whose players want to come here and I'm sure when we decide what we want to do, hopefully we'll have them for pre-season.
We're looking forward, we've got to work harder, I would want Man United as one of the hardest working teams in the league, one of the fittest teams in the league.
The day I walk out I hope it is with a smile on my face and I have given the fans a good time. I will always be myself. I will always be an optimist. We have to do this together
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