Louis van Gaal says his wife warned him that he was set to be sacked by Ed Woodward after just his second season in charge of Manchester United.

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The Dutchman was brought into the club as the successor to David Moyes and led the club a fourth-placed finish in his first season in charge before winning the FA Cup in his second.

Van Gaal was sacked at the end of his second season immediately after winning the FA Cup and replaced in the Old Trafford hot seat by Jose Mourinho.

"The hardest thing was trying to survive as Manchester United's manager when I had my head in a noose for six months," Van Gaal told the Daily Mirror.

"From January until the end of the season, my wife Truus warned me. She is a woman – and a woman has an instinct for things like this.

"I did not see what Woodward was up to, but women have different qualities than men. I really did not sense that they were plotting something.

"I was wholly convinced that I'd be able to see out my contract and have a third season at United. And it was the biggest surprise of my life when Woodward sacked me.

"I had faced resistance internally at other clubs and federations before. But that was nothing compared to what I had to put up with at Man United.

"At Barcelona, I walked away because I was loyal to the president. I waved away £5 million. But my principles were more important at United – I had achieved so much there."

- TEAMtalk media