OMNISPORT 

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand feels the rise to prominence of youngsters such as Marcus Rashford will stand as Louis van Gaal's Old Trafford legacy.

The Dutchman was sacked on Monday, having failed to qualify for the Champions League, but Ferdinand is adamant the Van Gaal era was not all bad news for United.

Saturday's FA Cup win was United's first for 12 years, while Rashford, Jesse Lingard and Timothy Fosu-Mensah are among a host of academy graduates to impress in the first team under Van Gaal.

"Van Gaal's unwavering belief in his methods is something to respect in many ways, but it was also part of his undoing," Ferdinand wrote on his official Facebook page.

"Success (winning the league or Champions League) is what Manchester United demands, and added to that an attacking, quick, aggressive and imaginative style of football. 

"Unfortunately Van Gaal failed to bring either of those elements to the club. 

"He is huge personality who won an FA cup, keeping up his habit of winning trophies everywhere he has been, but his ‪Manchester United‬ legacy will be the introduction of the players from the academy like Rashford, Lingard, Fosu-Mensah and so on.

"Giving kids and opportunity to play was in keeping with the history of the club."