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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Reveals He Learnt From Football Manager

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Reveals He Learnt From Football Manager

The Manchester United manager claimed that the video game helped him learn to use youth players rather than buying them.

Ryan Sidle

Ryan Sidle

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is just like you and me, the Manchester United boss revealed that he actually learnt how to be a manager using popular video game Football Manager, wonder if he's ever rage quit.

We all fancy ourselves as being able to manage a football team, that's why we're constantly annoyed at the starting line up for our team or the substitution the manager made or the transfers he's decided to make.

Some of us take that frustration out by playing Football Manager and trying to lead our teams to glory, or perhaps someone else's team to make it more of a challenge.

However the game is as frustrating at real life and suddenly we aren't annoyed at the manager anymore, because that's us, but at the game- hypocrites the lot of us.

Over the years we've learnt of footballers playing the popular management franchise and, an interview with Dagbladet, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer revealed he played when he was a player at Manchester United and it helped him develop as a manager, saying:

"When I played for Man U I relaxed by playing Football Manager.

"It's a fantastic game, I have learned a lot about football. I have learned a lot about players, especially young talent.

"It resembles real life, when it comes to who will be good players. They have done incredible research.

"...I remember thinking the same then, that I do as a manager, you want to give young guns the chance, see them develop.

"You could push a few buttons and get extra millions to buy a player. I never enjoyed that. I would rather win in spite of, than because of.

"Many of my players play FIFA and Football Manager. I think it helps them to understand football better."

Solskjaer couldn't have dreamed of this start, even on FM. Image: PA Images
Solskjaer couldn't have dreamed of this start, even on FM. Image: PA Images

And the former Cardiff City manager also revealed that he used to play management games even as a kid, adding, "'I have always been a football idiot. If I wasn't practicing against myself, I didn't care about the games where you play the matches yourself, I was in manager mode.

"I was 7/8 when I started playing with my cousins. It was Commodore 64, 'The Boss.'"

See kids, when your mum tells you off for playing several hours of FM next time you've told yourself 'one more game' for the last hour at least you can say it's leading to a future job.

It's clearly worked as Solskjaer has had a great start to life at Old Trafford.

Featured Image Credit:

Topics: gaming news, FM 19, Football News, Football Manager, Manchester United, FIFA 19, English Football, Premier League, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer