Sir Alex Ferguson Champions ‘Inner Toughness’ of Manchester United Hero

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has praised Ole Gunnar Solskjaer following the Norwegian's impressive start to his fledgling managerial career.

The Manchester United legend has revitalised the fortunes of Tippeligaen side Molde since his arrival at his old club. The former striker, who famously scored the stoppage time winner against Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final, engineered the club's first ever league title win and has subsequently been associated with jobs in England.

Ferguson believes Solskjaer was always destined for a fine career in management, suggesting the Manchester United legend used to meticulously record training sessions during his playing career in preparation for a life in the dugout.

Although Solskjaer is widely considered one of the amiable men in football, the prolific former Manchester United star has an insatiable work ethic and an "inner toughness" that belies his boyish features and affable demeanour according to Ferguson.

"I think the problem for a lot of footballers today is that when they get to the end of their careers they decide they want to become coaches because they have nothing else in their mind that they think they can do," The Manchester United manager explained to the Manchester Evening News.

"Whereas Ole always wanted to stay in the game, so from an early age he was preparing stay in the game as a coach or as a manager, as he is at the moment.

"So he has given himself a better chance than the rest.

"Ole was always one of the professionals that used to take down all the notes from the training sessions and games."

"He has got an inner toughness, there's no doubt about that," added the Manchester United manager. "He is a nice man with a lovely manner about him."

Solskjaer was recently linked with the Portsmouth job and has of course been touted as a possible successor to Sir Alex Ferguson, when the Scot finally decides to call time on his illustrious career. Ferguson intimates his former player evidently has something special about him.

"If you go to a club in Norway that have never won the league ever in their history and you win the league you have to have something about you to do that." The Manchester United supremo continued.

"He has brought in his own staff. He's brought two coaches from United as part of his structure to the club so he knew where he was going. A useful thing to have in management is good decision making.

"It's possibly one of the most important things and he has been decisive, so yes he has got a lot going for himself."

Solskjaer won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the 1999 Champions League final during his remarkable Manchester United career.

Since taking up the Molde post in November 2010, he has regularly been mentioned as a candidate to succeed Ferguson at Manchester United, alongside the likes of Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola. Ferguson recently suggested he wanted to carry on at Old Trafford for a further "three or four years".