Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer once snubbed former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo when naming his pick for the greatest footballer of all time. The Norwegian was a potent goalscorer during his career and remains one of the most underrated strikers to ever play at Old Trafford.
Unsurprisngly, the current Besiktas boss knows a thing or two about what makes a great attacking player, and the majority of these attributes help put the aforementioned Ronaldo right at the top of most people's list. However, Solskjaer has turned a blind eye to both the Portuguese superstar and his long-time rival Lionel Messi, instead optng for another Argentine great.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer when he was in charge of Manchester United Related
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Regrets Not Signing Two Players at Manchester United
Solskjaer's Man United tenure may have shaped out very differently if he'd brought this duo to Old Trafford
The Norwegian waxed lyrically about the Argentine attacking midfielder
Speaking back in 2020, Solskjaer revealed that to him, Diego Maradona will always be the best player that he had ever seen live while also describing the Argentine as a person that always brought a smile to people's faces. Speaking shortly after the 60-year-old's passing, the Norwegian paid a touching tribute, saying as per FotMob:
"It was a sad day. For me, Diego Maradona will always be the best player I've seen live. I was fortunate enough to see him play or Argentina against Norway in Oslo; they lost 1-0 before the World Cup. I remember a Norwegian lad, Kjetil Osvold, nutmegged him, which was fantastic.
"After the game, I was stood outside the ground, waiting to get a glimpse of him, and I actually touched his shoulder as he walked past the crowd. Since then I've had the pleasure of meeting him at Old Trafford. A guy with unbelievable talent on the pitch and a smile always when you see him. I've got to say it's a sad day and, for me, he will be the best that's ever played football."
Despite the demons that plagued him off the pitch, on it, Maradona was as angelic as they came with the ball at his feet, able to do things that most couldn't even fathom. His incredible talent helped cement his legacy as the greatest attacking midfielder of all-time.
Diego Maradona Career Statistics
Appearances
Goals
Assists
Trophies
His genius for better or worse could be summed up by his incredible solo goal against England in the 1986 World Cup, which was overshadowed by the infamous 'Hand of God' the very same game that saw the Three Lions eliminated from the tournament as Maradona and Argentina went on to lift the trophy.
All statistics courtesy of ESPN - accurate as of 10/03/2025.