Wayne Rooney surprised Gary Neville with an admission about former Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal ahead of the Dutchman’s exit from Old Trafford.
Louis van Gaal arrived at Old Trafford in 2014 and replaced David Moyes, who succeeded Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013 and was sacked after his ill-fated spell.
The 72-year-old former Manchester United boss awarded Wayne Rooney with the captain’s armband, with Van Gaal spending two seasons in charge at Old Trafford.
Van Gaal, who had managed the Netherlands for the second time before he arrived at United, was often criticised for the style of play he introduced at the Red Devils.
Despite the negative reception towards his football at United, the former Bayern Munich and Ajax head coach enjoyed success at Old Trafford.
Van Gaal ended his debut season at United by leading the Red Devils back into the Champions League with a fourth-place Premier League finish in the 2014-15 campaign.
However, United fell out of the top four in the 2015-16 season, despite Van Gaal leading the Premier League club to the FA Cup trophy in 2016.
Van Gaal’s success in the FA Cup was not enough to save his career at Old Trafford, with the Dutchman axed from the club and replaced by Jose Mourinho.
Rooney talks Van Gaal and Man Utd
Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney, who was sacked from Birmingham City last month, made an appearance on the latest episode of the Stick to Football show.
Speaking to Gary Neville, Roy Keane, Jamie Carragher and Jill Scott, Rooney talked about his time at United and how he believed one manager deserved more of a chance from players.
Rooney opened up about his relationship with Louis van Gaal and claimed that the Dutchman’s wife knew he would be sacked from United during the FA Cup final.
Neville was surprised by Rooney’s admission and wanted to know how Van Gaal’s wife, Truus, knew that her husband would be sacked by United.
“He knew before the FA Cup final he was gone,” Keane said on The Overlap.
Rooney continued: “Yeah, I think during the game his wife found out. Don’t know [how she found out]. His wife found out [at the time].”
Responding to Rooney, Keane added: “Yeah, he knew. He knew before the game apparently.”
Rooney on Van Gaal’s reaction after FA Cup win
Following United’s 2-1 win over Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final at Wembley, Rooney recalled how Van Gaal wasn’t his “loud and bubbly” self at the post-match party.
“To be fair, he knew before the game, and then after the game, when we were having a party for winning, he was with his family in the corner being quiet, when usually he’s quite a loud and bubbly character,” he said.
“I went over to him and told him to enjoy the party because we had won the cup, but he knew he was getting sacked but wasn’t told by the club.
“The next day after the party at breakfast, he gave us his plans for pre-season, so he stuck to his job right to the end.”
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/avkAeKO