Solskjaer won 14 of his 19 games in interim charge since arriving in December
Thursday 28 March 2019 10:43, UK
Manchester United have confirmed the appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as permanent manager, but who joins him in his backroom staff?
The Norwegian's agent Jim Solbakken held talks with Ed Woodward during the international break, and the 1999 treble winner has now put pen to paper on a three-year contract.
Solskjaer managed to convince the club's hierarchy of his credentials by winning 14 of his 19 games in charge after replacing Jose Mourinho in December. Here, we take a look at the key members of his backroom team.
A former assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson known for his progressive attitude towards the game, Phelan joined Solskjaer as his No 2 from Australian side Central Coast Mariners, where he remains sporting director.
Phelan, who managed both Norwich and Hull after leaving United in 2013, has received plenty of praise from Solskjaer since his return to the club.
"Mick's absolutely brilliant," said Solskjaer in January, "with his experience, his knowledge and personality around the place. Not just for the players and coaches, but the rest of the staff as well. Mick's tough but he's kind. He's got everything I would want in an assistant."
A product of the Tottenham youth system, McKenna's playing career was cut short following a bad hip injury at the age of 23. He would go on to manage their U18s before moving on to Manchester United under Jose Mourinho in 2016.
The 32-year-old introduced an exciting, high-scoring brand of football to United's U18s, with a team which featured young talents such as Angel Gomes and Tahith Chong, before earning a first-team promotion at the start of the season.
Carrick called time on his playing career at the end of the 2017/18 season having made 464 appearances for Manchester United. The former midfielder, who also represented West Ham and Tottenham, went on to work as part of Mourinho's backroom staff before being retained by Solskjaer.
"I support the manager basically," he said. "I get in about 8.15am to help plan the session for that day and plan ahead for the next game. Whatever the manager needs I'm there to support him."
Following the departure of Mourinho's trusted goalkeeping coach Silvino Louro, Alvarez has stepped up and is the natural choice given his history with David De Gea at their former club Atletico Madrid.
The pair shared a strong relationship there, with Alvarez acting as a mentor to the young De Gea. Previously, Alvarez had also had coaching spells with Real Madrid and Valencia.
Solskjaer will be hoping Alvarez's bond with De Gea can convince the Spain international to sign a new contract at Old Trafford. "David loves Emilio," said Solskjaer recently, "he really is so complimentary about him."
