Manchester United have announced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as the interim replacement to Jose Mourinho who was fired on Tuesday.
Solskjaer, a Norwegian striker who played for Manchester United, will be a caretaker manager until the end of the 2018/19 season, the club said on Wednesday.
The Norwegian is a former Manchester United player and was a rumoured favourite for the caretaker job.
Manchester United fired Jose Mourinho on Tuesday after the team got off to a lacklustre start to the season.
In a statement posted to their website the club said: "Manchester United announced today that former striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been appointed as caretaker manager until the end of the 2018/19 season.
"Solskjaer scored 126 goals in 366 appearances for United between 1996 and 2007. In 2008 he became the club’s reserve-team manager, before taking the managerial role at FC Molde in Norway.
"Solskjaer will take charge of the first team with immediate effect and will remain in place while the club conducts a thorough recruitment process for a new full-time manager. He will be joined by Mike Phelan as first team coach, working alongside Michael Carrick and Kieran McKenna."
"Manchester United is in my heart and it's brilliant to be coming back in this role. I'm really looking forward to working with the very talented squad we have, the staff and everyone at the club," the Norwegian said.
Executive vice chairman Ed Woodward said: "Ole is a club legend with huge experience, both on the pitch and in coaching roles.
"His history at Manchester United means he lives and breathes the culture here and everyone at the club is delighted to have him and Mike Phelan back. We are confident they will unite the players and the fans as we head into the second half of the season."
United appeared to accidently announce the appointment on their website on Tuesday, with a video appearing on the club's official website celebrating Solskjaer.
A video of him scoring the winner for United in their 1999 Champions League final triumph against Bayern Munich was accompanied with the headline 'The most famous night of Ole's career'.
Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg also appeared to confirm Solskjaer's appointment, writing on Twitter: "Great day for Norwegian football. Good luck keeping control of the Red Devils."
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More on Mourinho's departure:
In pictures: From Matt Busby to Jose Mourinho - list of the Manchester United managers
Tottenham's Pochettino to Manchester United? Arsenal's Emery sees no reason for it
'We are alone': Guardiola offers his sympathy to Mourinho after manager's dismissal
Mourinho was not a popular figure at Man United, but lack of results led to sack
Caption this! Pogba's hilarious reaction to Mourinho's departure from Man United
Mourinho profile: Once the face of gleaming modernity, now more a toxic dinosaur
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Solskjaer joined United as a player from Molde in 1996 and was part of the team that won the treble of the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup in 1998/99.
The Norwegian's first game in charge of Manchester United will be Saturday's trip to former club Cardiff.
He managed the Bluebirds between January 2014 and September 2014, failing to stop them being relegated from the Premier League, returning to Molde in 2015.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino and former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane are among the bookmakers' favourites to take the United job at the end of the season.
