‘And Solskjaer has won it!’
It’s one of the most famous pieces of commentary in the history of the game and it was followed by one of the most memorable celebrations of all time, when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer slid on his knees in delight after securing Manchester United’s comeback victory over Bayern Munich in the 1998/99 Champions League final.
A David Beckham corner found the head of Teddy Sheringham who, in turn, guided the ball on to the foot of Solskjaer.
Solskjaer’s reflexes allowed him to adjust his body shape and poke the ball into the roof of the Bayern net and almost 20 years on from his most famous goal, the Norwegian has addressed the rumour that a knee injury suffered in his celebration ultimately shortened his career.
"And Solskjaer has won it!" A classic Manchester United comeback against Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final! #MUFC pic.twitter.com/Mxe70fic2C
— BGS (@BestGoalsScored) March 21, 2017
There’s been a long-standing myth that Solskjaer’s iconic knee slide celebration in Barcelona on 26 May 1999 contributed to the injury-plagued end to his time as a player.
But the newly-appointed permanent Manchester United manager has rubbished that rumour, admitting that while he did pick up a knock with his knee slide, it had nothing to do with his injury issues eight years later.
“That’s not true,” Solskjaer told ESPN. “I did get injured and I did tweak my medial ligament.
“It was nothing to do with my injury but I missed two or three weeks and a couple of internationals for Norway but it was worth it. The celebration was worth it.
“I’ve seen [the goal] so many times. I cannot remember exactly what I felt because I was so focused on my job. I think it was bigger for everyone else around. I just did my job as a striker, something I’d done so many times before.
“It was just being in the right position at the right time.”
