Louis van Gaal reveals he rejected European giants who offered him chance to seal sensational return to football

Louis van Gaal has not been in a dugout for a few years now, but he has revealed he turned down the chance to return to one of his old clubs this summer.

The 72-year-old's last job in club football was a two-season spell at Manchester United, after joining the Old Trafford club in 2014.

Van Gaal led United back to the Champions League in his first season in charge, but he could not repeat that feat in his second campaign at the helm as the Red Devils slipped to fifth.

The Dutchman won the FA Cup in 2016 with a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace at Wembley, but was sacked a matter of days after claiming the silverware.

He was replaced at United by Jose Mourinho, and a year later in 2017, Van Gaal confirmed he was on a sabbatical from football management, before confirming his retirement in 2019.

However, he was tempted out of retirement in 2021 to coach the Netherlands for the third time, as he replaced Frank de Boer.

Van Gaal oversaw his nation at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, as the Dutch were knocked out at the quarter-final stage at the hands of eventual winners Argentina.

He resigned from the role after his side's exit, and has not been in football management since then.

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In his career, Van Gaal has managed some of the biggest clubs in the Europe in the form of United, Barcelona and Bayern Munich - and the Dutchman has confirmed that the German giants approached him to become Thomas Tuchel's successor this summer, but he turned down the offer.

As per ESPN, he said: "I am now reasonably healthy again. I could do it, but not as a club coach.

"I was asked by Bayern Munich, even before Kompany.

"As a national coach, you are busy for eight periods and during the year you scout with your staff. That could still be possible."

Van Gaal has previously overcome prostate cancer and it appears he is now only willing to be a national team coach, rather than experience again the day-to-day rigours that come with being a club manager.

He coached Bayern between 2009 and 2011, winning the Bundesliga and German Cup, as well as being runners-up to Inter Milan in the 2010 Champions League.

Following Tuchel's departure, Bayern appointed ex-Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany, who moved to the Allianz Arena following a two-year spell in charge of Burnley.

Kompany led the Clarets back to the Premier League in his first campaign, but was unable to keep the Turf Moor side in the top flight and they were relegated back to the Championship.