Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed he flew into Birmingham today to hold "informal" talks with Aston Villa.

Villans owner Randy Lerner flew into Kristiansund, Norway, on Thursday night to talk to Solskjaer about the vacant managerial role at Villa Park.

Solskjaer told Romsdals Budstikke on Friday: "I can confirm that I have spoken to Aston Villa. There were no negotiations, but an informal chat.

"Villa also have other candidates they want to talk to. I wanted to show them the respect as one of the big clubs of the Premier League."

Solskjaer is currently overseeing his second season as coach of Molde, after he guided them to their first ever title in his debut season as a manager in 2011.

SOLSKJAER STARTS THE COMEBACK AGAINST VILLA FOR UNITED IN 2002

The Norwegian was reserve team manager of Manchester United for three-and-a-half-years after he ended his 11-year playing career with the club in 2007.

The 39-year-old signed for the Reds from Molde in 1996 for a bargain £1.5m and went on to win six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and scored the winner in the club's 1999 Champions League final triumph.

He was rated at 12/1 in the aftermath of McLeish's dismissal on Monday, but has now emerged as favourite ahead of Norwich City boss Paul Lambert.

Enjoy his progression from baby-faced assassin to baby-faced tactician in our gallery...

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• Arriving at United's Cliff training ground, 1996

• The baby-faced assassin. A debut goal against Blackburn. From the bench, '96

• Equalising against Middlesbrough when skies are gray

• Clutching his first title with Beckham and Phil Neville, 1997

• The red mist, April 1998

• Frustrated at World Cup 98

• Scousebusting in 1999

• Scoring four at Forest, 1999

• Making it a Treble four months later

• Partying like it's 1999

• Hitting four against Everton, December 1999

• Scoring his first against Villa on Boxing Day 2000

• Starting a stunning comeback against Villa, January 2002...

• Before netting a third and final United hat-trick against Bolton later that month

• Floored by Campbell, April 2003

• Downing Villa in the cup again, January 2007

• Signing off against whom it all started - a goal against Rovers, April 2007

• Testimonial, August 2008

• United reserves, 2007-2010

• Returning to Norway, November 2010

• A send-off from the boss, December 2010

• The baby-faced tactician