Former Manchester United goalkeeper Massimo Taibi feels Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has benefitted from working with Steve McClaren as a player.

Taibi and Solskjaer were teammates at United and the Italian admits the Norwegian's move into management has surprised him.

Asked if he still follows United, Taibi told the AmericanGambler.com: "Yes, Solskjaer, my ex-team-mate who always scored, is there now. He was so good. I follow him closely.

"Look, in 2000, it was difficult to truly tell (if he would enter coaching). I wasn't really aware of it at that stage. Like everyone, he took training very seriously. To be a starter at United was not easy for anyone. United had 25 or 26 top, top players so one game it might by Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke, then you had Sheringham, Solskjaer. Becks, Giggs. So many tremendous players and Fergie could rotate the squad easily and still have so much quality.

"But there, the luck was to have a coach like Steve McClaren and a manager like Ferguson who taught you everything. They were professors."

As a player, Taibi said of Solskjaer: "He reminds me of Filippo Inzaghi in Italy. You give him an inch and he'll score. Always. "