Arjen Robben has admitted that Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal played a big role in his career, but has insisted that he will not be joining his former boss at Old Trafford soon.
Van Gaal worked with his fellow Dutchman during spells in charge of Bayern Munich and the Netherlands national team.
Robben had been linked with a move to United following Van Gaal's appointment during the summer, but the 31-year-old says that a transfer away from Bayern is unlikely.
"From the first day he made me feel important," Robben told the Daily Mail. "He gave me an important role and I had a great first year. I am very thankful to him. He is a coach who makes individual players better. That is rare nowadays.
"I have a lot of confidence he will be a success. He needs time to build his team. When he qualifies for the Champions League, and he has a realistic chance of winning the FA Cup, if that happens, he has had a great season.
"The life I have with my family is so good, the team has been successful. If things were not going so well, maybe [joining United] would be the first option, but he knows I am happy."
Van Gaal signed Robben for Bayern in 2009.
Steven Toplis
