Old Trafford icon wants to do well under - but he's confident one manager might have thrived had he been handed the reins.

Solskjaer - who celebrated his 52nd birthday on Wednesday - is one of the few individuals who had the privilege of managing United after playing for the club. And he had the pleasure of working with Kieran McKenna during his tenure at Old Trafford.

And with Amorim's United struggling to impress of late, Solskjaer has previously expressed admiration for the boss' coaching style when they worked together. The reported how McKenna, 38, returned to Old Trafford on Wednesday night as his side despite United playing with only 10 men in the second half.

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The Tractor Boys have been on quite a journey over the past few years, achieving consecutive promotions. Although relegation back to the Championship is a real threat, it's evident McKenna has the qualities needed to succeed as a manager - something Solskjaer predicted after getting to know him.

"Kieran was a surprise to me when I got to United. Michael [Carrick], I already knew," he told in 2023. "We'd been coached by Sir Alex, from the old school. Kieran was not. He's the most thorough and analytical, step-by-step, process-driven coach that I've worked with.

"He makes it so easy for the players to see and understand what we wanted from them. He'd do that the day before a game and his memory was also fantastic, his eye for detail too."

McKenna, it seems, is left to ponder what might have been after being in the mix for the Old Trafford job last year. The club eventually decided to award Erik ten Hag a new contract, but the Dutchman was later fired and replaced by Amorim this past November.

But troubles persist at United, who are currently 14th in the under the stewardship of relatively green manager Amorim. Meanwhile, Solskjaer has rejuvenated his career after a three-year break and has turned things around for Besiktas, highlighting how vital it is to keep player confidence at a high.

The Red Devils have been struggling for form all season, and the arrival of former Sporting CP manager Amorim has done little to lift the gloom. But Solskjaer believes United's current struggles are akin to his own challenges at Besiktas.

He recently said: "You need to feel that heartbeat racing again, because [you ask], 'Do you have the energy?' And the project that the president and the board have been talking to me about it was the right thing I needed now.

"I've been following United [since I left] and it's difficult when it goes down. You need to just turn the boat and, hopefully, we can turn the boat quickly here."

The stats speak volumes as United have become a shadow of their former selves, scoring fewer goals than all but five Premier League teams this term.

Solskjaer also might have changed the club's fortunes in a different manner had the club heeded the Norwegian's nous. He spotted a 17-year-old while in charge at Molde and urged the United bigwigs to sign him for a meagre £4million - advice they infamously ignored.

Reflecting on the missed opportunity, a rueful Solskjaer said in 2023: "I got in contact with United because we had this talented striker who they should have had. But they didn't listen, unfortunately. Four million, I asked for. But they never signed him. Four million! Don't ask [where he is now]. He's too good."

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