David Moyes has admitted he banned chips during his reign as Manchester United manager as some of the players were overweight.

The Scot, now in charge of Real Sociedad, was sacked last April after just 10 turbulent months in charge. Moyes was criticised by former player Rio Ferdinand in the defender’s autobiography for ending the long-standing pre-match ritual of low-fat chips on the evening before games while some of his training methods were also questioned by players.

“Yes, I did ban chips,” Moyes said in an interview with FourFourTwo magazine. “It was because a couple of players were overweight and I didn’t think chips were good for their diet.”

After seven months out of the game, Moyes is now rebuilding his career in La Liga. The 51-year-old says he is enjoying life in the Basque region – not least as the food is so good – and says English players could learn from Spanish players’ diets.

“The average Premier League training ground is superb, as is the team transport,” he said. “There are things to be learned from Spain, too, such as the way the players look after themselves and their diet. There’s much more salad and fresh fish here, which can only be good.

“San Sebastian is a beautiful city with three lovely beaches in curved bays overlooking the Atlantic. There are great places to walk and eat. The standard of living is high and there are more Michelin-starred restaurants per square metre than any city on earth. You can also eat superbly for only a few euros by having pintxos [Basque tapas] in the old town.”

But there are some things Moyes does miss. “It’s not easy to get a good cup of tea over here,” he added. “My assistant, Billy McKinlay, has brought a kettle over so we can have a cup of tea after training. I’m not sure all my players know what it is, as most Spanish households don’t have kettles. Billy and I talk about Walkers shortbread and I was sent some Irn-Bru, which I appreciated.”