Louis van Gaal: Former Manchester United boss linked with vacant AC Milan job

Former Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal is among a shortlist of managers being considered for the vacant top job at Italian giants AC Milan, according to reports.

Van Gaal, 64, has been out of a job following his sacking by United in May despite winning the FA Cup – the Red Devils' first piece of major silverware since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013.

Gazzetta dello Sport claims Milan have shortlisted the Dutchman as a potential successor to Sinisa Mihajlovic, who was sacked in April.

Former Tottenham Hotspur boss Andre Villas-Boas and Ajax assistant coach Ronald de Boer are among the other candidates being considered by the seven-time European champions.

Taking over at Milan would represent a surprise turn of events for Van Gaal, after he indicated in March 2015 that the United job would probably be his last.

"This is my last job, for sure. I have to pay attention to my kids, my grandchildren but also to my wife. They deserve it. Now I cannot pay that attention. I was not at the birthday of my grandson for example. I don't like it," he told the Daily Telegraph.

The 64-year-old has won league titles in the Netherlands, Spain and Germany but has never worked in Serie A.

He also led the Dutch national team to a third-place finish at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Van Gaal was sacked at the end of his second year of a three-year contract at United after the Red Devils finished a disappointing fifth in the Premier League.

He has been replaced at Old Trafford by his former protégé Jose Mourinho, who urged United fans to "forget" about the past three years as he bids to turn the Manchester club into a European powerhouse again.

"We can look at our club in two perspectives - one is the past three years and one is the history. I prefer to forget the past three years and focus on the giant club I have in my hands now," he told MUTV last month.