Memphis Depay has revealed that Louis van Gaal convinced him to snub a move to Bayern Munich in favour of joining him at Manchester United.
The Netherlands winger, 21, sealed a £25m switch to Old Trafford last month following a goal-laden season with PSV Eindhoven.
Joining the German giants would have seen Depay link up with coach Pep Guardiola, but the youngster - who played under Van Gaal at international level - says that his compatriot convinced him to join United.
"There were discussions with nearly all the top clubs," he told Bild. "Bayern were one of them but, in the end, Manchester United came out on top.
"I can't say who the best coach in the world is. There are definitely a lot of good and well-known managers and Pep Guardiola is certainly one of them.
"But I only spoke to Louis van Gaal and he totally convinced me. He gave me the feeling that I was very important for him not only as a player but also as a person - and then it was clear that I would go to Manchester United."
Depay signed a five-year deal with the Premier League giants.
Shane Callaghan
