'Honoured' Solskjaer hopes he's left United in 'a better state'

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, sacked as Manchester United manager on Sunday, said he was proud of his time in charge and believes he has left the club in a better state than when he took over from Jose Mourinho nearly three years ago.

Solskjaer was dismissed after Saturday's 4-1 defeat at Watford left the team in seventh place with just one win from their last seven matches.

"I’m going to leave by the front door, because I think everyone knows I’ve given everything for this club. This club means everything to me and together we’re a good match, but unfortunately I couldn’t get the results we needed and it’s time for me to step aside," he told the club's MUTV channel.

"I think, or I know I leave this club with a better squad. The environment is fantastic, it’s an environment I’m proud of leaving because you have to enjoy coming in here working," he said.

Solskjaer, who won six Premier League titles as a player and scored the stoppage-time winning goal in the 1999 Champions League final against Bayern Munich, said he had been honoured to have been the club's manager.

"Very, very proud. Of course, it’s one of those things you dream of in your life. When you’ve been a player, when you’ve been a reserve team coach, the next job then, the only dream and the only thing you haven’t done is to manage the club, and I have now.

"It’s been a ball, it’s been absolutely enjoyable from the first to the last minute, so I have to thank all the players because since I came in, they’re top lads, top people," he said.