Marc Skinner has emphasised the importance of Karna Solskjaer establishing herself as her own person after the teenager made her Manchester United debut in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday.
The 19-year-old forward entered the fray during the latter stages of United’s 2-0 victory over Bridgwater, with her father Ole Gunnar Solskjaer watching on from the stands.
Skinner praised the legacy that her father forged at Old Trafford, but insisted that Solskjaer’s debut should be about her as an individual.
“Obviously she’s got a famous dad, but she wants to be famous in her own right,” the United boss said at full time.
“We were privileged to have Ole as our manager, as well as a wonderful player for this club, but again, it stops becoming about Ole as much, and more about Karna. It’s so important that we raise that fact.
“And maybe, if we are talking about the beauty and the romanticism of the FA Cup, maybe this is a story of the romanticism of the Solskjaers and how important they are to this club.”
Solskjaer was rewarded with a maiden first team appearance for the Red Devils after turning in a series of impressive performances for the club’s Under-21 side.
The forward scored during United Under 21s’ 5-0 cup victory over Aston Villa, and Skinner added that her debut was a result of her midweek display for the youth side.
“It wasn’t a token for Karna, it was a deserved [debut], from the performance that I saw from her the other day,” the United boss said. “So congratulations to her.”
