Louis van Gaal’s final Man Utd XI gallery - where are they now? Plus three players still at the club
We take a look at the final team Louis van Gaal selected as Manchester United manager, which came in the 2016 FA Cup final.
Louis van Gaal is gearing up for a World Cup quarter-final clash with Argentina on Friday evening, a match that could feature two Manchester United players and some former Red Devils.
But the Dutchman has been one of the stars away from the pitch in Qatar, whether that’s for kissing his players, hugging journalists or even for the ‘cheeky’ suggestion he made to his wife after a training session. There is an even greater feeling of warmth to the ever-popular manager after he revealed in April that he kept his diagnosis of an aggressive form of prostate cancer hidden from his players, so as to not distract them from their pre-World Cup games.
Van Gaal has managed some of Europe’s biggest clubs - Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich - but English football fans best remember the now 71-year-old from his time as United boss, where he led them to success in the 2016 FA Cup final.
The 2-1 win over Crystal Palace at Wembley proved to be Van Gaal’s last match in charge of the Red Devils, as he was sacked a few days after and was subsequently replaced by Jose Mourinho. Six and half years on and five members of that squad still remain at Old Trafford, three of whom played that afternoon in 2016.
Ahead of Van Gaal and the Netherlands’ huge clash on Friday, we’re reflecting on his final United starting XI and where they are now.
1. David De Gea
The Spanish stopper is still at United and remains one of the league’s most dependable goalkeepers. He now sits 11th in the club’s all-time appearance list and is likely to break into the top 10 in the early weeks of 2023.
2. Antonio Valencia
Went on to become club captain and left United in 2019, moving to his native Ecuador and then subsequently onto Mexico. Valencia retired in 2021 and played at Old Trafford last summer in a legends match against Liverpool.
3. Chris Smalling
Now playing for Mourinho once again, this time at Roma. The centre-back looks rejuvenated in Serie A and was seen as a potential wildcard selection for Gareth Southgate’s England squad.
4. Daley Blind
Still playing for Van Gaal with the Netherlands, and the 32-year-old scored for the Dutch in the last-16 win over USA. Blind is currently at Ajax, having rejoined the Amsterdam club in 2018.