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Louis van Gaal pulls in thousands of YouTube viewers with exuberant training exploits as Manchester United continue pre-season tour

Louis van Gaal is already proving to be a hit with his new United players

Samuel Stevens
Friday 25 July 2014 13:18 BST
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Louis van Gaal would have been impressed with Darren Fletcher’s performance
against LA Galaxy during Manchester United’s 7-0 victory
Louis van Gaal would have been impressed with Darren Fletcher’s performance against LA Galaxy during Manchester United’s 7-0 victory (Getty Images)

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal appeared to be settling in well to his new role as footage emerged of the former Barcelona coach giving Wayne Rooney a fatherly embrace after scoring from a corner-kick.

United started their pre-season tour of the United States with a 7-0 demolition of LA Galaxy earlier this week and the players appear to be responding well to van Gaal's disciplinarian coaching style.

Just moments after cameras had captured the 62-year-old instructing Rooney, Phil Jones and Antonio Valencia on how to perfect their shooting, the England forward then curled a corner-kick straight into the net.

"Before you shoot you have to look at the goalkeeper," he told the trio. "And then your shot doesn't need to be very hard.

'"It has to be in the corners. You can see what the goalkeeper is doing."

"Is he like that or like that? Then you have to shoot. Keep noticing that," he added, gesturing to the United stars on how best to beat a top goalkeeper.

The former Netherlands head coach, who led his country to the semi-finals of this summer's World Cup, then rewarded Rooney with an affectionate embrace as the striker showcased his abilities with a superb effort from the corner flag.

Following the victory over the Galaxy at the Rose Bowl Stadium, the Red Devils now head to Denver, Washington and Detroit where they'll face Roma, Inter Milan and Real Madrid before returning to England.

If van Gaal's opening week is anything to go by, it's going to be quite a season at Old Trafford.

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