Ole Gunnar Solskjaer meeting and pizza to celebrate – Inside Manchester United’s pre-season trip

United arrived in Trondheim around 6.30pm local time on Thursday, and their arrival was low-key, as it had been the weekend previously in Helsinki. There were around 100 fans waiting at the team hotel, and Harry Maguire was the first player to get off the team bus.

Maguire has worn the armband in the absence of Bruno Fernandes following his efforts at the World Cup, and he made a beeline for the excited Norwegian supporters to sign autographs and take photos.

The defender had a quiet word in the ear of Acacio Valentim, head of team operations, before he greeted fans. Maguire appeared to tell Valentim to make sure each player spent some time with United supporters.

Valentim ushered each player toward the fans as they got off the bus, but the squad were happy to oblige with autographs and selfies.

JJ Gabriel was included in a senior squad for the first time. It was surreal to see the 15-year-old receive so many photo and autograph requests, but it spoke volumes that every fan knew who he was.

Bryan Mbeumo is the last player off the bus at every game. True to form, he was the last to leave the coach in Trondheim, and he received a huge cheer as he entered the hotel after making his way along the line of fans.

United held another meet-and-greet with supporters inside the hotel. Trondheim is a small, walkable city, and United stayed bang in the centre, which gave the players the chance for a leisurely stroll on the morning of the game.

Luke Shaw posted a video of Mbeumo playing the piano on social media when the team returned to the hotel. Mbeumo is a brilliant piano player and performed ‘7 Years’ by Lukas Graham.

Carrick used the trip to Norway to meet up with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Although Carrick beat Solskjaer to the interim United job in January, the pair remain close and sources said Solskjaer was in good form.

Solskjaer keeps a deliberately low profile in his home country. His appearances in the media are rare in his homeland, and he wasn’t involved in any coverage of Norway’s World Cup quarter-final against England.

The 53-year-old helped to generate huge support for United in Norway during his playing career, but the turnout in Trondheim suggested the Reds may have overstretched their Scandinavian support this summer.

United are playing four friendlies in the region this pre-season, and the attendances have been disappointing so far. There were thousands of empty seats at the Lerkendal Stadion, which didn’t even seem half full.

The low attendance was mostly down to Rosenborg’s poor season. They are struggling in the middle of their campaign, and their supporters want the game boycotted because it was deemed an unwanted distraction locally.

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Rosenborg fans believed the game would increase the chances of relegation. It also meant their league game against Fredrikstad FK had to be rearranged for Monday, and it goes against Norwegian culture for matches to be played on Mondays, which fed into the backlash.

United have not been worried by the attendances for the opening two pre-season games. Sources have stressed the priority for pre-season was football preparation, not commercial reasons and chasing revenue.

There was a small tent selling United merchandise in the city square, but a barista in a local coffee shop had no idea that United were in town to play Rosenborg, admitting her partner supported Liverpool.

United fans could be found in the Three Lions pub, though. There was a United Q&A event in the bar, organised by the United Scandinavian Supporters’ Club, and a few season ticket holders were present.

They were all unhappy about the ticketing fiasco that has made headlines over the last week. One fan, who said he was “rusty as his seat at Old Trafford”, spoke about feeling unwanted as a season ticket holder.

United at least put on a show for the supporters who attended against Rosenborg. The players applauded each corner of the ground after the final whistle, and some took photos with fans from the bottom tier of the main stand.

A young fan was given Maguire’s match-worn shirt. Gabriel did not get onto the pitch, but he shared a special moment with his mother as he took a photo with his first senior shirt before getting on the bus.

Gabriel politely said “thank you” when he was congratulated for being in the squad as he walked through the mixed zone. United staff members have been struck by how polite and well-mannered he is.

Ayden Heaven and Mason Mount stopped to speak before leaving. United youngster Jaydan Kamason recorded two assists and stopped to chat after a request from the Manchester Evening News.

All of the players who featured against Rosenborg were given Saturday off to recharge.