Spurs 'So Close' For Van Gaal

Louis van Gaal has revealed he came "very close" to taking the Tottenham job before agreeing to replace David Moyes at Manchester United.

The 62-year-old will stand down from his current role as Holland boss after the World Cup to take over at Old Trafford.

But he was linked with Spurs when Andre Villas-Boas was sacked last December, and more recently when the position of now-departed Tim Sherwood had begun to look uncertain.

Speaking at Holland's World Cup training base in Santpoort, the former Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss admitted the White Hart Lane post had been a tempting proposition.

Asked how near he was to taking the job, Van Gaal said: "Very close, very close.

"As a little boy I was a fan of Tottenham Hotspur with the team of Jimmy Greaves when he was the champion. Jimmy Greaves was my idol, so I was very close."