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Football

13th Jan 2019

Giuseppe Rossi given training opportunity by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Blast from the past

Darragh Murphy

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is just a good egg, isn’t he?

As we saw when he kicked Alexis Sanchez out of his seat last week, it seems like Solskjaer is incapable of doing anything without being nice about it.

Solskjaer’s spell as caretaker manager of Manchester United can only serve to boost his reputation as a true fan favourite at Old Trafford and he will be forgiven for any shortcomings in the business end of the Premier League season with his legendary status among supporters long-cemented.

The Norwegian is one of the most popular figures in the club’s history and his niceness was on full display again this weekend, when he offered a fellow former United forward a wonderful opportunity.

Giuseppe Rossi has been given the chance to train with the Red Devils’ first team squad in a bid to maintain his fitness as he looks for a new club.

Rossi, a former teammate of Solskjaer’s who scored four goals in 14 appearances for United in his three years at Old Trafford, is without a team after being released by Genoa in the summer.

Having failed a drug test, Rossi managed to avoid a ban and is aiming to put a nightmare few months behind him by training with the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.

Sir Alex Ferguson was spotted at Carrington this weekend and the Telegraph was the first to report that the Scot was there to meet Rossi.

And while some had suggested that the former Italy international was in discussions to join Solskjaer’s coaching staff, Rossi has laughed off such claims.

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