Louis van Gaal: Former Manchester United manager all set to retire for 'family reasons'

New Delhi: Veteran football coach Louis van Gaal is all set to end his career as a football coach.

Out of job after being sacked by Manchester United two years ago, the 65-year-old has made the decision despite receiving an offer to manage a club in Asia where he would have earned £44m in three seasons, the Guardian reported.

"I thought maybe I would stop, then I thought it would be a sabbatical, but now I do not think I will return to coaching," Van Gaal was quoted as saying in Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.

The Dutchman said that despite receiving lucrative coaching offers, he has decided to be with his family now.

“I could go there, but I’m still here,” Van Gaal said. “So much has happened in my family.”

In a coaching career spanning over two decades, Gaal also coached Ajax, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and AZ.

He announced his decision on Monday after receiving a lifetime achievement award from the Dutch government for his contribution to football.

Before starting his career as a coach, Van Gaal played as a midfielder for Ajax, Royal Antwerp, Telstar, Sparta Rotterdam and AZ between 1972 and 1987.