Ex-Manchester United and Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal has retired from coaching after a 26-year career.

The Dutchman has been out of work since winning the FA Cup with United in 2016 and subsequently being sacked hours later for the incoming Jose Mourinho.

"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 told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.

The former Barcelona, Ajax and Bayern Munich boss had a glistening managerial career, but struggled at United and was often berated for his 'boring' style of football and 'lack of success' with the Red Devils.

What is ironic, however, is that United this season are no better off without the Dutchman at the helm; in fact they are worse off, currently sitting one place behind where they finished last season under Van Gaal.

Red Devils fans should not forget what Van Gaal did for their club. We take a look at three reasons why they should be grateful for his two year tenure...

Signings

Football Soccer Britain - Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League - Old Trafford - 11/12/16 Manchester United's Ander Herrera reacts after fouling Tottenham's Christian Eriksen Action Images via Reuters / Jason Cairnduff Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please

Admittedly, not all of the Dutchman's signings were brilliant. Take Angel Di Maria, for example, who arrived in a record-breaking deal worth nearly £60million, only to completely flop and leave for PSG the following summer. The loan signing of Radamel Falcao was also an humongous disaster.

Let us not forget, though, that Van Gaal did bring in some of United's key first team players today and indeed some for the future. Ander Herrera, Daley Blind, Anthony Martial, Marcos Rojo and Luke Shaw have all been relative successes at Old Trafford, especially the former three who are likely to be a huge part of the club's long-term plans.

Youth

Britain Football Soccer - Manchester United v Reading - FA Cup Third Round - Old Trafford - 7/1/17 Manchester United's Marcus Rashford in action with Reading's Joey Van der Berg Reuters / Darren Staples Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representat

Something new manager Jose Mourinho is infamous for ignoring is youth, but Louis Van Gaal could not be accused of that in the slightest. United were once renowned for their ability to bring through world-class youth with the prime example being the Class of '92, and Van Gaal tried to bring that back to the club.

The former Barcelona manager ensured Anthony Martial thrived, and the Frenchman ended last season as the club's top scorer. Jesse Lingard showed the world what he could do too, scoring the winning goal in the FA Cup final. And finally, of course, there is Marcus Rashford. The youngster set Old Trafford alight after being given his chance by the then-United boss and has continued to prosper since.

Champions League

It was a big old shock when David Moyes' United failed to qualify for the Champions League upon finishing seventh during the 2013/14 Premier League season. All seemed doom and gloom at United.

Playing in Europe's top club competition has always been an earmark of the elite, and Van Gaal didn't take long to get United back into it. In his first season, he finished fourth and qualified for the group stages of the tournament. While they may not have gone very far, it was important he kept United on the European radar after the turmoil Moyes had caused.