has confirmed the treatment he’s had for prostate cancer has proven successful.
The Netherlands boss only went public with the news he’d been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer on a Dutch television show earlier this month.
The 70-year-old now says he’s in the clear following rounds of radiotherapy.
‘I’ve been through everything,’ Van Gaal told Dutch news agency ANP.
‘I had 25 radiation treatments. Then I had to wait five or six months to see if it had done its job. It did.’
The former Manchester United boss is currently in his third spell as manager of the Netherlands and is preparing to lead them into this year’s World Cup where they’ll face hosts Qatar, Senegal and Ecuador in the group stage.
Announcing the news to the public of his cancer diagnosis earlier this month, he also confirmed he hadn’t told the squad he was undergoing treatment.
‘I think you don’t tell people you work with like that because it might influence their choices, their decisiveness, so I thought they shouldn’t know,’ Van Gaal said.
‘You don’t die from prostate cancer, at least not in ninety per cent of the cases.
‘It is usually other underlying diseases that kill you. But I had a pretty aggressive form, got irradiated 25 times. Then you have a lot of management to do in order to go through life.
‘I did have preferential treatment in the hospital. I was allowed in through the back door when I went to an appointment and was immediately pushed into another room. I have been treated wonderfully.
‘You will of course tell your friends and relatives about it. The fact that nothing has come out yet also says something about my environment. That’s great.’
Ronald Koeman is set to take charge of the national team after Van Gaal steps down following the 2022 World Cup which kicks off in November.
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