Hill Backs Louis van Gaal Philosophy

Former Manchester United winger Gordon Hill expects to see an exciting brand of football at Old Trafford this season after a successful tour of the country he now calls home, and he insists the key is that the players are buying into Louis van Gaal's philosophy.

Hill made 134 appearances for the Reds during three seasons at Old Trafford between 1975-78, and the former flying winger spoke to ManUtd.com after signing copies of his new autobiography, Merlin, at the Megastore.

We spoke to Gordon about his motivation to put pen to paper on his book and the impact he thinks United's new Dutch manager will have using a new wing-back system...

As an out-and-out winger, what do you think of Louis van Gaal using wing-backs?
To me, they're still wingers. I still think players like Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young are going to play on the wing. You get them doing defensive duties, but where does Valencia like to be most of the time? Right-wing. Wingers are traditional and they will always be around in my view. People have ignored them, because we had it a few years ago with Terry Venables playing the 'Christmas Tree' formation, and then all of a sudden we had wing-backs. Half of them couldn't cross their legs, let alone the ball! [Laughs] It took the art of crossing and tried to change it. But van Gaal has got United playing and winning.

The system has looked successful so far, do you think United can take that into the season?
I agree with the manager's philosophy but as players you've got to buy into it, and you've got to understand it before you buy into it. It's a philosophy that is really putting down guidelines. 'I want to do this, this and this'. 'I want my players to be able to play this way'. And I think that's what United have got with Louis van Gaal. He's a hard man but if you watched the Dutch team [at the World Cup] they played with discipline and played with flair. If that's what's going to come here, I really think it's going to be an exciting season at Old Trafford.

So is it a change in style for United?
I think United will play in a similar style to the Dutch team. The players will be more confident, in terms of getting the ball and moving with it. The pre-season tour tells you exactly what they can do, how they're going to do it and what his philosophy is. I think the players realise what he's all about and they buy into it.

You have an autobiography out. Tell us what was the motivation was behind writing the book...
There's a time in your life when you want to put down what you've done and what you've achieved, what you haven't achieved, the highs and the lows. I think it was about time. I had a lot of lovely stories and a lot of lovely memories and people often said to me, 'when are you going to tell your story?' So I got together with my writer, Wayne, and for a couple of years we put it all down on paper. It's amazing that you can actually get more stories coming out as you're remembering them, and I think it's a good read.

Did you enjoy the process?
Yes, but you have to do your research and get your facts together because in some cases what you're also doing is finding out if those facts are true! Your mind goes a little as you get older so if you're saying, 'I scored three goals in that game', someone could say, 'you've said in the book you scored three but you didn't'. Ultimately, though, your stories are your stories that live and stand out for you, and that's what stood out for me. That's what is in the book, my feelings on the game, the way that I played it, the way that the team was and the way United are. From the start at Millwall, which was a lovely experience as a young player, all the way through. From being a young player to an established footballer, becoming a United player and then becoming an England international. It helps structure the book in such a way that you end up creating a nice picture.

Which memories stand out?
Cup finals. Semi-finals. European games. Goals you score. Goals you don't score. Injuries. Your ups, your downs. People you meet often talk about the highs, but don't always realise you have lows too. You're just like any other human being. When you get an injury, it can determine whether or not you're going to play again. Fighting that injury psychologically, that really plays a big part in the way that you want to display your book. I'm not, and will never be, a guy who tells stories about what goes on in changing rooms or behind the scenes. That is not the world. I think it's all about me as person and growing up to be a footballer.

You live in the US now, where United have spent a very successful summer. What is United's support like there?
In Florida, United have a supporters club, and then they've got the people who want to go because it's Manchester United. What's nice is that when you get there and meet a United supporter they're the whole hog. Sometimes you try to educate people a little bit with what Manchester United really is. You've got fans who are completely into American football, basketball, baseball... it's their game. But you can't get away from the fact Manchester United is the biggest club in the world. Bigger than the New York Yankees and any of the American football teams. They say to me, 'did you play?' And I say, 'just look me up on Wikipedia'. And to say I've just written a book, I don't really like talking about myself - I don't like blowing my own trumpet.

Merlin: The Autobiography of Gordon Hill is out now.