Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hits out at Gareth Southgate and England over handling of Mason Greenwood

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has sparked a club-versus-country row by taking a furious swipe at Gareth Southgate over the England manager’s ­handling of Mason Greenwood.

In an extraordinary attack that has bemused Football Association officials, the Manchester United manager accused Southgate of ­failing to protect Greenwood and ignoring the club’s request not to call up the teenage striker for the games against Iceland and ­Denmark earlier this month.

Greenwood was sent home in disgrace by England and omitted from the Denmark match after breaching coronavirus protocols when he and Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden invited two women back to the team hotel the day after making their senior international debuts in a 1-0 win over Iceland in Reykjavik.

Greenwood issued an apology and United released a statement in which they said they were ­“disappointed” by the 18-year-old’s behaviour.

But Solskjaer says he did not want Greenwood to travel with England, in the belief the player needed a rest physically and mentally in the wake of a draining debut season and believes the controversy could have been avoided had United’s request not fallen on deaf ears. The Norwegian said his exasperation then deepened when he saw Greenwood had been put up for interview by the FA in front of the world’s media ahead of the ­Iceland match.

“I have to be honest enough to say I tried my best to give him a rest over the summer,” Solskjaer said. “At the club, we asked specifically and pointed out he should have had a rest. He needs it mentally and physically after that season he had and the first thing that happens is, one, he’s called up and, two, he’s right there in the press.

“We’ve done whatever we can to protect him and I will keep on helping him. I know when he comes back into the daily routine of the club and what we do to him he’ll be fine.

“I didn’t [talk to Southgate]. The club put a request into the FA, the secretary did. Maybe I should have got hold of Gareth’s number. He’s not called me after, either, so next time I speak to him we’ll discuss it.”

Asked if he felt the FA needed to look more carefully at the way they treat young players, Solskjaer replied: “One hundred per cent. That’s why I tried not to let him go this summer. But it’s in their right to call him up. Then again, OK, you call him up, but you don’t have to put him in front of the world ­cameras first day, or second.

“When Mason says what he says – he did well in that interview, I’m not worried about that – but still it’s drip feeding in, and I felt like he needed a rest more than being ­exposed to that environment. But I’m sure when he gets into this daily routine, club routine, he’ll be back to his normal self.”

Southgate and FA officials were understood to have been taken aback yesterday by Solskjaer’s tirade. Although United are believed to have raised their objections about Greenwood being called up during conversations, sources at the FA said they were unaware of any formal request by the club to withdraw Greenwood. It is also thought the FA informed United that Greenwood and goalkeeper Dean Henderson were being put up for interview and the club raised no complaints at the time.

Solskjaer said he had held talks with Greenwood, who is in contention to feature against Crystal Palace in the club’s opening Premier League match at Old Trafford tonight, and, while he acknowledged the player had made a “mistake”, he remains deeply unimpressed with the FA.

“No, I’m not saying that it’s their fault – that’s not the point there,” he said. “I’m saying that sometimes [you have] to take a step back and look at what’s best for the players and I tried. I thought that Mason needed a break in the summer.

“That’s my honest opinion, that young boys who have had such a big turnaround in their life … I felt he’s been really good looking after himself, has built himself up but that’s part of being at Man United.

“I’m not saying you didn’t make a mistake. Of course he’s made some mistakes, but it’s us, the grown ups here as well. We need to make decisions that benefit him. I know Gareth is really keen on looking after players as well so I’m not worried about that.

“I speak to Mason and I’ve spoken to Mason, of course. What we speak about and discuss will be between the two of us.”

Greenwood was not the only United player to become embroiled in off field controversy during the summer.

Captain Harry Maguire was given a suspended 21-month prison sentence after being found guilty of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and attempted bribery just days after allegedly assaulting a policeman during a late-night brawl on the Greek island of Mykonos last month. He is appealing the verdict and maintains his innocence.

Solskjaer admitted that the incident was certain to play on Maguire’s mind but expressed hope that it would not affect his form this season.

“The process will keep on going,” Solskjaer said. “Knowing Harry, he’s a very strong character so hopefully he can put that apart but naturally as a human being it will be in back of the mind what’s happened this summer, and apart from that, you have just got to see how it develops with Harry.

“Personally I think he will be able to focus on his football. You can’t predict how people will react but so far he’s trained well, he’s been focused. So hopefully that process will just go on and of course we know it’s something that will go on in the legal department over there.”

Solskjaer refused to divulge who would start in goal against Palace with David De Gea’s position expected to come under threat from Dean Henderson this term.

“I’m not going to tell you the team today but the goalkeeper training has been fantastic to watch, so enjoyable, the highest possible quality you can imagine,” he said.

“I know the goalkeeper coaches are enjoying working with them and the stuff they do. Some of the stuff is fantastic and it's going to be an interesting thing for many to follow.

“I know it’s great to see Luis Enrique [the Spain coach] talk about David the way he did after the internationals [this month]. Coaches who work with players, he shows his respect.

“It will be nice if the press talk about what a great goalkeeper we have. It will be great if the press write not about problems between the two of them but that they’ve worked really well together. Sergio [Romero] has not come back yet, he’s had some extra time.”

United’s only signing to date is Holland midfield Donny van de Beek from Ajax. The club have been involved in a protracted pursuit of Jadon Sancho and have so far been unwilling to meet Borussia Dortmund’s £108 million valuation of the England manager, with time to do a deal running out as the Oct. 5 deadline approaches.

Solskjaer believes United can “go into the new season with confidence with the way we finished last season” but admits the squad still needs more.

“We need more consistency but with a year more experience we should be getting that consistency,” he said. “It’s a group I don’t really want to say what they cannot do, they can go as far as they want themselves.

“Fans will always want the best possible team to watch, the best possible Man United team and that's the passion we want.

“We want to take a step forward and we can go into the new season with confidence but we’re looking to give the group a boost and we're working on it.

“Of course, we’ve done some business with Donny, I’m delighted to get him in, he’s an exceptional, smashing lad that’ll give us something.

“I can’t say anything about other clubs’ players, I can’t speculate. We understand to get further we need to develop what we have and strengthen the team but let’s wait and see if we manage to bring anyone in. I’ve been in dialogue with the club, we’re always discussing and let’s see if we can bring anyone in.”