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Man Utd send 'strength and courage' to former manager Van Gaal after he reveals cancer battle

James Westwood
4:45 pm AEST 4/4/22
Louis van Gaal Netherlands
The 70-year-old coached the Red Devils between 2014 and 2016 and is now in his third stint in charge of the Netherlands

Manchester United have sent a message offering their "strength and courage" to former manager Louis van Gaal following the Dutchman's revelation that he is battling cancer.

Van Gaal has enjoyed a hugely successful coaching career spanning over 30 years, two of which were spent in the Old Trafford dugout between 2014 and 2016.

The 70-year-old is now in his third spell in charge of the Netherlands and is continuing to work despite being diagnosed with prostate cancer, and the Red Devils have shown their support via social media.

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Van Gaal reveals cancer battle

Van Gaal announced his condition on Dutch TV show Humberto over the weekend, admitting he had been keeping it a secret from the Netherlands squad.

"I had a pretty aggressive form, got irradiated 25 times," he said. "Then you have a lot of management to do in order to go through life."

Van Gaal went on to insist that his form of cancer is not terminal while adding: "You don't die from prostate cancer, at least not in 90 per cent of the cases."

Man Utd's message to Van Gaal

Van Gaal delivered the FA Cup during his reign at Old Trafford, one of the few trophies the club has won since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure in 2013.

United have sent their best wishes to the Netherlands boss with a statement on their official Twitter account reading: "Everybody at Manchester United is fully behind our former manager, Louis van Gaal, in his battle against cancer. Sending you strength and courage, Louis."

United striker Marcus Rashford wrote his own message above the post, which reads: "Earned my debut from LVG. Will forever be indebted. You can fight this. We are all behind you."

Barcelona, another of Van Gaal's former clubs, have also used their social media channels to show support and Gary Lineker has been among the ex-players to send messages to the veteran manager.

Meanwhile, the official Twitter account of the Dutch national team sent a simple message of love in the form of an orange heart alongside a picture of their manager.

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