This is not the first time Louis van Gaal has clashed with Victor Valdes.

Both men were at war at Barcelona in 2002 but made peace and the goalkeeper went on to become Barca’s greatest ever stopper.

It was 13 years ago that Valdes came through the ranks at the Nou Camp alongside another promising keeper by the name of Pepe Reina.

Victor Valdes sitting alongside manager Louis van Gaal after signing for Manchester United in January

Valdes only made his Manchester United debut in May, coming on as a sub against Arsenal

With David de Gea (left) as No 1 at United, Valdes has made just two appearances for the Red Devils

Valdes turned down the chance to go out on loan to Villarreal because he was assured by Van Gaal that he would become Barcelona’s first choice ahead of Reina.

In the end it was Reina who went out on loan to Villarreal and Valdes started the season in the first team with Van Gaal’s backing.

But two months into the season Valdes was dropped back into the Barca reserves and Van Gaal told him he was going to play for the youth side in a second division match away to Reus. He missed B-team training on the eve of the game furious at the U-turn from his manager.

Valdes denies Arsenal's Thierry Henry in the 2006 Champions League final during an inspired performance which played a big role in helping Barca claim a 2-1 victory in Paris

Valdes denies Manchester United's Wayne Rooney in the 2011 Champions League final

He told Sportsmail last season: ‘It’s not that I didn’t want to play for the B-team. But Van Gaal told me on a Thursday, and so on the Friday I had to train with the B-team and play that same Saturday and I told him that I needed a weekend to think about what the future held for me going back to the B-team and all the implications of that.

'This was bearing in mind that he knew in the summer I had rejected the chance to move to Villarreal to play in the first division with them. It wasn’t so much that I felt betrayed by him but I at least wanted a weekend to think about it all.’

Van Gaal was under pressure at Barcelona at the time and the Catalan media jumped on the difference of opinion between the young keeper and the Dutch coach. Valdes returned to the first team but Van Gaal never made it to the end of the season. He was fired and replaced by Radomir Antic who was then succeeded by Frank Rijkaard.

Valdes briefly lost his place to Turkey goalkeeper Rustu Recber (left) during his time at Barca

Pepe Reina was also vying with Valdes for the No 1 jersey during his time at Barca, with the former Liverpool goalkeeper punching the ball away against the Reds during a UEFA Cup match at the Nou Camp in 2001

When Rijkaard first arrived he favoured Turkish stopper Rustu Recber but Valdes soon won over his new coach and with one of the performances of his career in Paris in 2006 against Arsenal in the Champions League final he ended all doubts about being Barcelona’s No 1.

He went on to become the most decorated goalkeeper in Barcelona’s history with most supporters agreeing that he is the club’s greatest ever, urging more to be done to stop him leaving in 2014.

His future could yet be back in La Liga with Valencia hoping to take him on loan this season. They begin Champions League qualification next month and have first choice Diego Alves out with knee ligament damage.