Several former players have put the boot into Louis Van Gaal in a new biography of the Manchester United manager.

Dutch journalist Hugo Borst believes the group of players have an axe to grind with the sometimes controversial and outspoken manager.

Borst’s book, “O, Louis,” claims the negative remarks represent “a drop in the ocean” of the players the Dutch coach has worked with down the years. The players who did publicly criticise the Manchester United manager were Ajax players Clarence Seedorf and Winston Bogarde, two Brazilians who played for him at Barcelona, Rivaldo and Giovanni, and two men he managed at Bayern, Luca Toni and Lucio.

Seedorf, a member of Ajax’s 1995 Champions League-winning squad under Van Gaal, said: “The man I had come to know as a man of his word turned out to be something else entirely. Because of the way he treats people, he has lost all credibility in my eyes.”

Van Gaal led Holland to the World Cup semi-finals last summer, but during his first spell in charge of the Duch national team, he failed to take his country to the 2002 World Cup, and Rivaldo, a winner with Brazil that year, said: “He is jealous I won a World Cup he couldn’t even qualify for.”

Giovanni, who was at the Camp Nou during the Dutchman’s first spell in charge, added: “Van Gaal knows nothing about football.”

Lucio was sold by Van Gaal in 2009, leaving Bayern to join Inter Milan, and ended his first season in Italy by winning the Champions League final against his former club.

He said: “Van Gaal hurt me more than anyone else in football.”

However, Borst believes Van Gaal has a better relationship with his more recent players.

He wrote: “I strongly doubt whether any of the 23-man Netherlands squad of 2014 will mouth off about Van Gaal the way Toni, Rivaldo, Lucio, Giovanni, Bogarde and Seedorf have done.”