Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's father, Oyvind, while confirming the retirement of the Manchester United striker, revealed that the Norwegian was hoping to continue but “now something has happened in his knee” forcing him to give up.

The 34-year-old had undergone a knee surgery in June after a fruitful season that got him 11 goals for the Red Devils. His last appearance for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side was the FA Cup final loss to Chelsea in extra time at the rebuilt Wembley Stadium in May.

"He wanted to keep playing," Oyvind Solskjaer told Aftenposten.no. "This is sad for us, and for him, that he has to quit.

"He'd hoped to recover 100 per cent, but now something has happened in his knee that makes it impossible for him to continue.

"But he believed himself that he still had a lot to offer on the football field, if he'd just recover."