Defender says his Manchester United manager was “obsessed with rules” – Had specific plan for meals

Now 34 years of age and enjoying his life at Inter Milan, Matteo Darmian also spent four years of his career at Manchester United.

The defender was bought from Torino for €18m, and would go on to make 92 appearances for the Red Devils during his time there.

He was signed in 2015, which was just after Manchester United had qualified for the Champions League after finishing fourth, and in a chat with Andrea Ranocchia, relayed by FC Inter News, the veteran recalled his arrival at Old Trafford and who his manager was at the time.

He said: “Louis van Gaal, good and obsessed with the rules. We went to lunch at a certain time, one table at a time. He was a person who was very attentive to the rules but very good on the pitch. Then I spent two and a half years with Jose Mourinho.”

During his time at Manchester United, the right-back managed to win three trophies, with those being the FA Cup under the Dutchman before lifting the League Cup and the Europa League in the same season the following year.

Darmian then left Old Trafford in 2019 in a €2.48m transfer to Parma, before returning to Inter Milan on loan in 2020, who then bought him for €3.3m in 2021, where he has been ever since.

Down his end, Louis Van Gaal retired from managing in 2019, with Manchester United being his last club, but made a brief comeback when he agreed to take over the Netherlands national team between 2021-22. He is now an advisor at Ajax Amsterdam.