Louis van Gaal was "almost ashamed" of the amount of money he earned during his stint as Manchester United manager, his wife Truus has explained.
Van Gaal was appointed as United boss in the summer of 2014 following on from an unsuccessful season in charge for David Moyes, as the club looked to find a long-term successor to Sir Alex Ferguson. The Dutchman moved to Old Trafford after leading the Netherlands national side to a third-placed finish at the 2014 World Cup.
The former Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss was appointed on a three-year contract but was dismissed after just two seasons at the helm. He was succeeded in the summer of 2016 by Jose Mourinho.
Van Gaal's spell at United had mixed reviews with his side recording fourth and fifth-placed finishes while winning the FA Cup in his second campaign. His style of play was often criticised as being dull but he integrated multiple young stars – including Marcus Rashford – into the first-team squad.
The Dutchman – who is once again managing the Netherlands national team at this year's World Cup – oversaw 103 matches as United boss, with a 52 per cent win rate, and was not only backed heavily in the transfer market but also in his contract with the club.
Van Gaal's wife Truus explained to Nouveau per Sport Witness: "He just doesn't think money is that important. I remember when Manchester United were interested in Louis. Ed Woodward, the big boss, wanted to meet with Louis and his business manager in a hotel.
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"Louis said, 'I don't have an agent and you can just come to my house in Noordwijk.' So the man sits here, where you are sitting now, I put down a cup of coffee and a slice of cake for him and go into the village.
"But I enter our flat and there Louis is already waiting for me. With a proud face and his arms outstretched, he shouted: 'Here is the new manager of Manchester United!' He even opened champagne, even though neither of us likes that very much."
Truus went on to add: "At one point I say, 'So, what are we going to earn?' That's her again, he thought, so that hadn't been discussed yet. 'What are you saying?' I said. But then he thinks I have dollar signs in my eyes.
"A few days later, Woodward called again, Louis joked: 'My wife wants to know what I will earn, hahaha. And then he doesn't negotiate. He's just almost ashamed of the amount he's getting."
