Van Gaal suggests that his coaching career is over

Matt Stead

Former Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal appears to have called time on his coaching career, saying he is unlikely to take another job for family reasons.

The 65-year-old has been out of work since leaving United at the end of last term, but told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf he had turned down offers from the Far East including one potentially worth £44million in just three seasons.

“I could go there, but I’m still here,” Van Gaal said. “So much has happened in my family.”

The former Ajax, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Holland boss said after leaving United that he was interested in coaching again, but that door now seems to have closed.

The report said that last month one of Van Gaal’s daughters lost her husband, and that has weighed heavily on his decision.

“I thought maybe I would stop, then I thought it would be a sabbatical, but now I do not think I will return to coaching,” he said.