From Eric Cantona to Carlos Tévez, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has seen countless great players come and go at Old Trafford since his less heralded arrival in 1996 in lieu of Alan Shearer, but he is convinced that Sir Alex Ferguson has contributed more to Manchester United’s success than the galaxy of stars combined.

The Norway striker is preparing for his twelfth and probably his last season at a club where he is worshipped as a legend, so he is better placed than most to assess the manager’s enduring influence. Ominously for United’s rivals, Solskjaer believes that Ferguson has never looked fitter or feistier as his team gear up for the defence of their league title.

“The club has developed a lot, developed sensationally since I came here, but the heartbeat is still the dressing-room,” Solskjaer said. “The gaffer is the centre of it, obviously. He breathes the club. He comes in every morning, he’s in before every single player, every single staff member. He’s hungry and it rubs off on everyone.

“He looks very healthy, very revitalised, happy and smiling. But he is very determined when it is down to business, down to training. You’re not out on the training pitch having a laugh, you’re out there doing your work.”

Solskjaer identifies Ferguson’s greatest talent as the dual ability to give his players confidence while exhorting them to greater levels of achievement. Perfect man-management, in other words. Having won their first league title for four years last season, United’s players will not be permitted to rest on their laurels and they have been encouraged to view the signings of Tévez, Nani, Anderson and Owen Hargreaves as a challenge rather than a threat.

“The gaffer has survived at this club for quite a while, so he knows what he is doing,” Solskjaer said. “Last year we just signed Michael Carrick after three years without winning the Premier League, so the trust he showed us, that belief he had in us, was very, very important in developing us as a team. Now he is challenging everyone again by signing a few exciting players.

“I have said many times before that one of his best skills is man-management. He has had 20-odd internationals every year since I have come and to create an environment where everyone works together is not easy. He’s been absolutely fantastic in getting the best out of every single one of them. And now we have a squad of almost 30 players. I can’t see any reason why he can’t keep them all happy. He is so good at what he does. He is challenging us all the time. But when you need an arm round your shoulder, it’s there, and that is very good.” Like his manager, Solskjaer is one of life’s great survivors, having recovered from multiple knee operations to rescue his career. The 34-year-old has outlasted talented strikers such as Ruud van Nistelrooy, Teddy Shering-ham, Andrew Cole, Dwight Yorke and Diego Forlán to take his place in a squad that he regards as one of the most exciting in United’s history.

“There’s always been competition for places at this club,” Solskjaer said. “It has never been easy surviving at Man U. That’s just part and parcel of being here. But the more great players we have, the better it is.

“It was fantastic being part of it last year. It’s a team with enormous pace and nowadays that is so important to have. Last year a few of the goals from Cristiano [Ronaldo] and Wazza [Wayne Rooney] were absolutely amazing. And now with the players we have signed, it’s probably going to be even quicker and, hopefully, better.”