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Wayne Rooney has delivered an incredible snub to Sir Alex Ferguson .

The former England captain reckons the best manager he has worked with is Louis van Gaal, the Dutchman who was sacked by Manchester United in 2016 after just two years at the helm.

Ferguson and striker Rooney had a number of high-profile bust-ups during their nine years working together at Old Trafford. But it still comes as a huge shock that the 33-year-old picks Van Gaal as his No 1.

“Van Gaal is by far the best coach I have worked with - one hundred per cent," he said.

"His tactical skills, his way of preparing and his attention to the finest of details, I found amazing. I admired that in him. I had never looked at stuff like that before.”

Rooney, signed by Ferguson from Everton as a teenager in 2004, won five Premier League titles and the Champions League under the Scot. But he famously slapped in a transfer request in October 2010 after accusing Ferguson of failing to sign enough quality players to compete with Manchester City.

(Image: PA Wire)

And one of Fergie’s last acts as United boss was to reveal that Rooney had once again asked to leave the club — a claim denied by the player.

Van Gaal was appointed United boss in the summer of 2014 and guided the club back into the Champions League. But he was sacked just 24 hours after winning the FA Cup in 2016 following United’s failure to finish in the top four.

Rooney said: “Van Gaal knows that the way he works is tough for players. I made him aware of that at the time and we talked about this very well together.

“I regret how it all ended, yet I know one thing for sure - I have learnt a lot from him and I am definitely going to use those lessons for when I am a manager.”

(Image: Reuters)

Rooney wants to follow his former England team-mates Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard into management — and says he has already had job offers.

He has been using his down-time in the United States, where he now played for Major League Soccer side DC United in national capital Washington, to start studying for his coaching badges.

While the Liverpudlian isn’t yet ready to hang up his boots, he admits the possible ­appointment of Lampard as Chelsea boss and the ­impact Gerrard has made with Scottish heavyweights Rangers has given him hope that a management opportunity will be on offer when the time is right.

Rooney said: “It is great to see that Frank and Steve have been given these chances at big clubs. That gives me hope too because I do think about these things. But for the time being, I am enjoying my life as footballer. I want to win more trophies.

(Image: Rangers FC/PA)

“Physically, I feel good and I am still ambitious. But once my career is over, I am going to consider all the ­options.”

Rooney, in an interview with Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, also spoke about his ­relationship with Ruud van Nistelrooy and Robin van Persie.

He admitted the ­generation gap meant he couldn’t get close to Van Nistelrooy, who was a decade older than him, but he takes great pride from the partnership with Van Persie that helped United win the title for the last time in 2013.

Rooney said: “Ruud van ­Nistelrooy was great. I loved him. He was one of my biggest ­heroes when I was young. It was like a dream come true when I was on the same pitch as him.

(Image: Man Utd/Getty)

“It was an honour to watch him from close and to learn from him. He was such a brilliant finisher. I never really got close with Ruud off the pitch, but that was mainly because of the age gap. I was just a kid and Ruud was in his late twenties. And he was so experienced.”

He added: “I loved playing with Van Persie. He was a world-class player and it was an absolute privilege to play with him. But I have other great memories of Robin off the pitch.

“Our karaoke night at Christmas was fantastic. I remember doing a song with Robin’s wife, Bouchra. She had a terrific voice. I grew really close to Robin. On and off the pitch we got on really well. We spent a lot of good times together.”