Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has appeared to rule himself out of the running for one managerial role amid speculation over his return to the dugout.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been out of management since his spell at Old Trafford came to an end in 2021, with the Manchester United legend receiving the sacking.
The 51-year-old Norwegian former forward has been working as a technical observer for UEFA since his departure from the Red Devils.
Solskjaer has refused to rule out a return to management and has patiently sat on the sidelines while the right opportunity presents itself to him.
The former United star returned to Old Trafford in 2018 and took up the role of caretaker manager after ex-Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho was sacked.
Solskjaer permanently succeeded Jose Mourinho in 2019 after a scintillating run during his caretaker spell at the Red Devils.
The ex-Molde and United boss led the Premier League club to a second-place finish in the 2020-21 season, only to fall short to Manchester City in the title race.
The aforementioned season also saw Solskjaer miss out on silverware as United boss, with the Red Devils suffering defeat to Villarreal in the Europa League final.
Solskjaer linked with managerial role
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer surprisingly found his name linked to the Republic of Ireland managerial role in recent days amid the formal appointment of a new manager.
Former United defender John O’Shea is currently leading the Republic of Ireland as interim head coach and had served under previous manager Stephen Kenny.
Stephen Kenny made his exit from the national team last November after the Republic of Ireland failed to punch their ticket to Euro 2024 in Germany.
The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) said John O’Shea was only a temporary appointment and a permanent succession to Kenny would be announced in April.
The Irish Times reports there is still ‘uncertainty’ around the next Republic of Ireland manager, despite the FAI aiming for a new manager to be in place by “early April.”
The publication added that the ‘latest deadline’ for the announcement is ‘next Wednesday’ or ‘perhaps Thursday,’ with O’Shea currently ruled out of the running.
“If I could be manager of Ireland in the morning, I would make it happen,” O’Shea said last month.
“My instinct would be that I’m more than ready and capable to be a manager.”
Solskjaer responds to Republic of Ireland links
Solskjaer’s fellow United legend Roy Keane was heavily linked as a potential successor to Kenny at the Republic of Ireland.
Roy Keane, who previously served as assistant manager for the Republic of Ireland, admitted the national team role could tempt him to return to the dugout.
However, the 52-year-old legendary former United captain has appeared to be ruled out of the running, despite reportedly meeting with FAI officials in the past.
United We Stand’s Andy Mitten has said Solskjaer has distanced himself from the managerial role and the United legend is unsure where the speculation came from.
Posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, he wrote: “Keep getting asked about the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for Republic of Ireland job story.
“Spoke to him. He has no idea where it came from. He has complete respect for the country and did speak briefly about the job in Jan, but decided it wouldn’t be right for him. Have a good weekend.”