Winning mentality
Solskjaer, arguably Norway's most successful player, spent 11 years at United and earned an everlasting place in fans' hearts when he scored the last-minute winner against Bayern Munich to secure their memorable 2-1 victory in the 1999 Champions League final.
He continued playing for United until 2007 when he retired after failing to recover from a serious knee injury, then honed his skills as coach of United's reserve team.
It is the winning mentality he brought from Old Trafford that Solskjaer believes has helped him change Molde from also-rans into champions.
"The mentality has changed. I brought coaches from Man United over with me and we coach them in the same philosophy as I was coached when I played there," said Solskjaer, who has led Molde to two league titles in two years since returning home.
"I've come back to a club I knew well from before.
"It's a club that's always had loads of talented players, but it's always been regarded as a 'nearly' club. Seven second positions, loads of bronze finishes, a couple of cup winners' medals.
"I think it's the belief in themselves - the belief we show them, that we trust them, that helped a lot here," noted the one-time "baby-faced assassin" as Ferguson dubbed the youthful-looking goal scorer who is now 40.
Great test
As a manager, Solskjaer has yet to taste the same success in the Champions League that he enjoyed as a player but he hopes that might change.
"The Champions League is the best place to play football, for any footballer, any coach. For me to manage there would be a great test," he said.
Molde went out 2-1 on aggregate in the third qualifying round for this season's competition against FC Basel of Switzerland.
Only two Norwegian clubs have reached the group stage of Europe's elite club competition - Rosenborg Trondheim 12 times and Molde once in 1999-2000 when they were grouped with Real Madrid, Porto and Olympiakos and lost five of their six matches.
Although he was linked to a move to English Premier League club Aston Villa last year, Solskjaer said he was aiming to stay in Norway for now.
"You have to win the league every year to be regarded as the best team in Norway, and we want to be regarded as the best team in Norway," said the man who made his name as a player at Molde before moving to Old Trafford in 1996.
"To qualify for the Champions League would be so massive financially for the club. We don't have a budget near the top clubs in Norway, but we'll do our best in July to qualify."
Solskjaer's side started their domestic title defense on Friday but whether their manager is still at the helm when the season ends on November 11 remains to be seen.
Reuters - Global Times