The former footballer spent 18 months at United from 2015 to 2017 but didn't enjoy working under the Dutch coach because of his stifling style of coaching.

Schneiderlin told FourFourTwo magazine: "I really respect Van Gaal and everything he's done in his career. But even the first time I spoke to him on the phone, he came across quite cold and direct.

"I was happy to respect the instructions on the pitch, but with him I felt really confined.

"In video sessions, he'd stop the tape and say, 'Why did you play this 30-yard pass?' Even though it reached its target! He didn't want me to speed up the play.

"There were loads of things like that. It meant that when I was on the pitch, I wasn't myself. Looking back, I should have just played my natural game."

The ex-French international revealed that he thought he would win the Premier League title when he signed for United.

Schneiderlin said: "They'd just finished fourth under Louis van Gaal and it was still only a couple of years since Sir Alex Ferguson had left. Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata and David de Gea were there, Chris Smalling was turning into a really good defender and Bastian Schweinsteiger had just signed.

"Then a year later, Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic arrived. To be honest, when I signed my contract, I thought, 'Great, I'm going to have a Premier League title on my CV.'"

Schneiderlin fell out of favour at United after Jose Mourinho's arrival but was impressed with the Special One's managerial style.

He said: "I was impressed by Mourinho's training sessions, his frankness and the clarity of his analysis. I didn't play for him much, but thought he was a top coach, and he's not as defensive as people say."