Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford are pivotal to Manchester United's future, according to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Solskjaer was appointed as United's permanent manager on Thursday, signing a three-year deal at Old Trafford after impressing since taking over from Jose Mourinho in an interim capacity in December.

Pogba and Rashford have been two of the standout performers during Solskjaer's tenure so far, though they are reportedly targets for Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively, with Pogba acknowledging during the international break that it would be a "dream" to play under Zinedine Zidane in the Spanish capital.

But Solskjaer was swift to outline the duo's importance.

"They are vital for our future," Solskjaer told a news conference.

"That's our aim as a club - to be achieving what we have done in the past - and that is the expectation here and of course we are hoping to build a team strong enough and worthy of the history of the club."

Another player to impress under Solskjaer has been Victor Lindelof, who has become a key figure in United's defence this term.

And the Sweden centre-back lauded Solskjaer's impact on his performances.

“He's been great to all the players," Lindelof told United's official website. 

"He's helped me a lot as well. Like I always say, he's come in with a big smile.

"He talked to me and told me to express myself on the pitch and do the things that I'm good at. I think I have been doing that a lot. But it's always nice to hear that from your coach because it gives you a little more confidence."