Manchester United: Victor Valdes on his 'difficult' personality amid Louis van Gaal snub

Manchester United goalkeeper Victor Valdes has opened up about his personality, admitting he is a "very difficult person to deal with". The shot-stopper, who made the candid admission in an interview, has been told by manager Louis van Gaal that he will be sold this summer due to his "attitude".

Having won six La Liga titles, three Champions League crowns and two Copa del Reys during his time at Barcelona, in January 2013 the Spain international announced his decision to put an end to his career the La Liga giants once his contract expired at the end of the 2013-14 season. But since that point, the Barcelona legend has been living in a nightmare.

In March 2014, while at Barcelona, the Catalan suffered a cruciate ligament injury during a game against Celta Vigo that forced him to miss the remainder of the campaign. He was then expected to join Monaco on a free transfer but the Ligue 1 side backed out of a contract agreement with the 'keeper due to his injury.

United manager Louis van Gaal later handed him the chance to complete his rehabilitation at the club's training ground before offering him a contract to back-up David de Gea in January.

With De Gea's future at Old Trafford uncertain, it looked as though Valdes might have had the chance to be the club's number one for the 2015-16 season but instead in July, Van Gaal revealed he wanted to part ways with him due to his attitude.

"He is not selected because he doesn't follow our philosophy and there is no place for that one player. Philosophy is how you play football and how you maintain your match rhythm. For example, he refused last year to play in the second team," Van Gaal said at the time after leaving him out of his pre-season squad.

The 'keeper is expected to leave the club before the end of the transfer window after he watched the Premier League opener against Tottenham Hotspur on 8 August from the stands alongside De Gea, who had been dropped over concerns he was not focused, with a possible move to Real Madrid on the cards.

An interview Valdes gave to South American TV RCN earlier in the summer saw the 'keeper make some surprising revelations about his personality amid his struggling relationship with the Dutch manager.

"I know myself better than anyone. I am a difficult person to deal with. My wife Yolanda deserves the greatest trophies for putting up with me," Valdes admitted. Asked what he would change in his life, he said: "If I returned back to birth, I would not be a goalkeeper. They made me believe that I had talent, but it isn't an easy path and I have not been repaid for all of the years of suffering.

"I have had many days where I don't want to be here, I play because they convinced me to at a young age, I have accepted this path with discipline, but I have gone through lots of tough times."

Valdes also admitted he regretted the manner in how he left Barcelona and explained how he suffered during his time on the sidelines.

He said: "I didn't like the moments where I was kept on the periphery and disappointed people who hoped for more [from me]. Definitely the day that I said goodbye to Barça, due to the treatment that I was receiving and my character, it was not what I wanted. I turned away and went, with the people surely expecting much more of me.

"Footballers live a surreal life, they have given us everything and my injury made me live a real life while I lived in Augsburg and went two times a day to the physio on the tram. I don't like the fame, one day I will turn off the light and I believe it will be difficult to find myself."