Manchester, March 28 (IANS) Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was on Thursday appointed permanent manager of Manchester United on a three-year contract.

"From the first day I arrived, I felt at home at this special club," Solskjaer told the club's website.

"It was an honour to be a Manchester United player, and then to start my coaching career here. The last few months have been a fantastic experience and I want to thank all of the coaches, players and staff for the work we've done so far.

"This is the job that I always dreamed of doing and I'm beyond excited to have the chance to lead the club long-term and hopefully deliver the continued success that our amazing fans deserve."

The former United forward took over as caretaker manager after Jose Mourinho was sacked following a spate of poor performances.

Since joining in December, Solskjaer won 14 of his 19 matches, helping United go back into the race for a top-four finish.

The Norwegian also oversaw a memorable comeback in the Champions League last-16 tie against PSG earlier this month, with United overturning a two-goal first-leg deficit to set up a quarter-final tie against FC Barcelona.

--IANS dm/bbh/mr