Originally Posted by Roy Keane
When you look back at players' careers you talk about their goals, their achievements, what they've won and the games they've played but in terms of being a professional, Ollie is the best I've ever come across - by a million miles!
When I think about my own career he is at the top of the tree in terms of people I've got respect for. Obviously, he is remembered for scoring the winner in the 1999 Champions League final, and that's something he should be proud of like all of his other great achievements, but it washis sheer professionalism and the way he handled himself that impressed me most.
He could score two goals and be left out the following week, that was the sort of challenge Ollie faced and any professional wants to play in every game, we all know that. Even when I was a player I was a greatwatcher of people who were left out of teams.
I'd always look for different reactions in my own dressing room when themanager named the side. I always kept an eye open for how people greeted the disappointment because it could have a knock on effect on the team and I always had unbelievable admiration for the way he handled it.
Ollie was as disappointed as anyone if he was left out but he was the prime example of a player who understood that the team comes first.
Over the years one or two big strikers left United because they weren't guaranteed a game. I thought that no player should ever be guaranteed a game because if that happened football would go backwards.
That's what I'm trying to bring into my own club now at Sunderland. What is certain is that all of your players were like Ollie Solskjaer, football would be a much better place.
I remember his very first day at the club. We were at the training ground at The Cliff. We'd seen him sitting in the lobby and when we heard he was signing for the club we thought it was for the youth team.
Of course, he became known as the 'baby-faced assassin', but on that first day we really thought he'd be playing with the kids, and then found he was training with us, and we instantly learned that he could certainly finish.
There were areas of his game at that time that needed to mature, such as his work outside the box, but there was no doubt that he had the qualitywe needed.
I'm sure there are a lot of people at United with a lot more experience than me, but in my view he was right up there with the very best when it came to finishers. I look back at the goals that he scored and his finishing in training and know it was second to none.
Over the years at United there have been some great goalscorers such as Cantona, Hughes, McClair, Coley and Yorkie. They were all great goalscorers, but if there was only going to be one chance in the box you'd want it to fall to Ollie.
Having said that I still give him stick about a chance he missed against Leverkusen! He leaned back and missed it and, like all great scorers, he probably thinks more about that than the chances he took. Leverkusen was a big chance and I remind him about it every now and again!
Today's match will be a great occasion for Ollie and his family. He gave people so many great memories and I'm sure that you will all give him a day he will never forget.
Roy Keane
