Peter Schmeichel had a “nightmare” when he crossed paths with one key former Manchester United teammate during training sessions at Old Trafford.
That is according to Jordi Cruyff, who played alongside Red Devils legend Peter Schmeichel during his time at the Premier League club under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Schmeichel is widely regarded as one of Manchester United’s best shot-stoppers of all time after his prolific playing spell at Old Trafford during the 1990s.
A major figure within Sir Alex Ferguson’s Man Utd treble winners, Schmeichel lifted five Premier Leagues, the Champions League, three FA Cups and the League Cup.
Jordi Cruyff on Peter Schmeichel coming up against Man Utd icon Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in training
Peter Schmeichel was a larger-than-life presence between the Manchester United sticks after Sir Alex Ferguson brought him to England from Brondby in 1991.
The 62-year-old Dane made 398 appearances for the Red Devils during his remarkable time at the club and had a deeply impactful Premier League run.
Speaking to The Athletic, Jordi Cruyff has now admitted that Schmeichel had a tough time trying to prevent Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scoring past him in a training session.
“The only player who would consistently score in training past Peter Schmeichel was Solskjaer,” he said.
“He was like a player in a computer game and would hit every shot with incredible accuracy. Solskjaer was Schmeichel’s nightmare.”
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on the impact that Sir Alex Ferguson had on his shooting ability at Man Utd
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who previously served as United manager, was known as the ‘Baby-faced Assassin’ and the Norwegian was a ruthless finisher in his prime.
However, the 53-year-old famed Man Utd treble winner admitted that Ferguson would be on his case in training if his finishing was not up to standard.
“So many times Sir Alex, and it used to bug me big time in training, would shout, ‘hit the target, make the goalkeeper make a mistake,’ when I missed the target,” he said on The High Performance Podcast in 2020.
“But as soon as the ball left my foot, I knew if it was a good finish or a bad finish. And if you just hit the post and [the ball goes] out, I knew that just a slight millimetre to the left or the right on my boot would make that ball go in.
“So quietly in my mind I said [to Ferguson], ‘shut up, you. I know what I’m doing, and that will go in on Saturday.’”
Solskjaer added: “When I came here it was like, ‘do the things you’ve always done, what you’ve learnt, but do them a bit quicker.’
“My finishes were bottom corner; the best goalkeeper when I grew up wouldn’t even save my finishes, even when I was 15. That was my mindset – practise as if it was a cup final.”
Solskjaer netted 126 times in 366 matches for Man Utd and the former Red Devils ace lifted six Premier League titles, a Champions League trophy and two FA Cups.
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/v8tnpq3