Former Manchester United defender Rafael has told ESPN that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is the right man to lead the club but said he needs backing from the board after surviving “bad times” at Old Trafford.

The Brazilian, now at Lyon, worked with Solskjaer during his time as reserve coach under Sir Alex Ferguson and said his former club have finally found the perfect fit for the top job after seven years without a Premier League title.

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“I love Ole,” Rafael told ESPN. “I love the person he is and the manager he is. I know some people might not agree with me but it’s my point of view.

“I saw it when I was with him when he coached me. They have given him the chance. He had some bad results, some bad times, but he’s keeping going. I hope they give him more time. In his time at Manchester United he’s had so many ups and downs but before this virus he was really going up.”

Solskjaer has quietened the speculation surrounding his position with an 11-game unbeaten run before the coronavirus pandemic caused football to shut down.

The Norwegian survived a poor end to last season and a mixed start to the 2019-20 campaign but Rafael said he’s seen enough to know that United are on the track.

“I think he’s already helped a lot,” he added. “You can see how the players play. I like to watch Manchester United now. I see the heart on the pitch. I see that they want to win every time.

“Of course, there is a lot still to do but I think he’s doing it the right way. He’s a person who loves Manchester United and he’s going to do everything to help the club. This is important.

“He’s a guy who is going to think about Manchester United first rather than himself. A lot of coaches are never going to do that, they are going to think about them and after about the club. Ole is different because of that.”