The trio were attending a Manchester United luncheon in the city centre and Woodward is set to step down from his role as executive vice-chairman before the end of the year
Sir Alex Ferguson and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer joined Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward at a club luncheon on Thursday.
The trio were present for a meeting involving the club’s management and board members at The Ivy in Spinning fields, Manchester.
Woodward has not attended a match at Old Trafford since the European Super League fiasco which prompted him to announce that he would be stepping down from his role before the end of 2021.
Richard Arnold is poised to take his place after emerging as the frontrunner.
United technical director Darren Fletcher, former chief executive David Gill and club director Mike Edelson also attended the meeting at the same venue the Red Devils’ squad had a team-bonding meal in August.
Additionally, news report that Woodward was the only member of the party who entered via the staff entrances at the side of the building rather than the main entrance.
The 49-year-old being in Manchester could mean he attends the match as he begins close out his tenure that has lasted since 2013 when Gill vacated his role.
United’s gathering comes ahead of a big day for the club on Saturday, when Cristiano Ronaldo is set to make his second debut as Newcastle visit Old Trafford.
Solskjaer, though, will not be going anywhere, signing a new three-year deal over the summer which affirmed the club’s faith in him as their long-term man in the Theatre of Dreams hot seat.
Speaking about the conversation he had with his old boss, Ronaldo said, “As everybody knows, since I signed for Manchester [United] at 18, Sir Alex Ferguson was the key.
“I remember when we played against Manchester when I was at Sporting Lisbon.
“For me, Sir Alex Ferguson is like a father in football for me. He helped me a lot, he taught me many things, and in my opinion, of course, he had a big role because the relationship that we had, we keep in touch all the time, and he’s an unbelievable person.
“I really like him a lot and he was the main key for me to be in the position that I am, that I signed for Manchester United.”
This time around, however, the 36-year-old will be managed by Solskjaer, having played together during the mid-2000s.
“As you know, I played with him or two or three years at Manchester United so I have a good relationship with him but now with a different role, I’m a player and he’s a coach,” Ronaldo stated.
“But it doesn’t matter, my relationship with him is great and as I say before, I’m there in Manchester to help the team achieve his results and the coach can count on me for whatever he wants.