Solskjær gives Norway 'extra dimension'

Ole Gunnar Solskjær marked his return to competitive international football in fine style by scoring twice for Norway in their 4-1 UEFA EURO 2008™ win against Hungary.

Predatory instincts
The 33-year-old has not played a competitive match for Norway for three years, but carried his early-season form for Manchester United FC into Saturday's match in Budapest. Solskjær intercepted a weak back-pass for his first goal in the 15th minute while his second in the 54th owed itself to an error by Hungary goalkeeper Gabor Király.

'Born goalscorer'
"I should have had three," said Solskjær, reflecting on a missed opportunity when one-on-one with Király. "But seriously, it's always nice to score. The important thing is that we won and got off to a good start. Now we need to focus on Wednesday's home match against Moldova." Norway coach Åge Hareide said of Solskjær: "He is a very important player for us. His experience adds a new dimension to the team and we all know he is a born goalscorer - something he showed again today."

Wonder goal
Not one to hog the limelight, Solskjær singled out team-mate Morten Gamst Pedersen, who conjured up a third goal which revived memories of Marco van Basten's stunning strike in the 1988 UEFA European Championship final against the Soviet Union. "What a goal," said Solskjær. "Morten is a very good finisher, but that was a special goal even by his standards."