Louis van Gaal: Former Manchester United manager reveals he has prostate cancer

Van Gaal has won league titles in Spain, Germany and the Netherlands - and led the Dutch to third place at the 2014 World Cup

Former Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal says he is battling prostate cancer.

Van Gaal, 70, said he had kept the news from his players during the recent international break.

"I didn't want to tell it to my players because it could have influenced their performances," he added.

Van Gaal is in his third spell as Netherlands head coach, having led them to third place at the 2014 World Cup and now to the 2022 finals in Qatar.

He added: "In each period during my time as manager of the national team I had to leave in the night to go to the hospital without the players finding it out until now. While thinking I was healthy, but.. I am not."

In a two-year spell at Manchester United, Van Gaal led them to FA Cup success in 2016 before he was replaced by Jose Mourinho.

He has also won league titles with Barcelona, Bayern Munich, AZ Alkmaar and Ajax, where he led the Dutch side to Champions League glory in 1995.

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