OMNISPORT

Jose Mourinho taking over at Manchester United would add a new dimension to the derby with Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, according to Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Mourinho is expected to be announced this week as the replacement for Louis van Gaal, who was sacked on Monday.

If appointed, the Portuguese would renew his rivalry with incoming City boss Guardiola, the ex-Barcelona coach with whom he had a fiery relationship during the former's Real Madrid tenure.

Schweinsteiger does not know if Mourinho will take the reins at Old Trafford, but believes the next Premier League campaign could be quite a spectacle if he does.

"We don't know who will be our new manager yet, but it looks like it's going to be an interesting derby in Manchester next season," said the midfielder.

"The enthusiasm for football in Manchester is great and if Mourinho does take over at United, I think all of the players [would] want to train under him so it's going to be quite a special season."

Van Gaal was criticised for a dull brand of football during his time at United, and an FA Cup final victory over Crystal Palace was not enough to save his job.

However, Schweinsteiger had only had positive words about his former manager.

"I think Louis van Gaal and I have a very special relationship - he moved me into the centre of the midfield at Bayern [Munich] and I've got a lot to thank him for," he added.

"Also, my move to United was because of him. I will never say any bad words about somebody for whom I have so much to thank.

"Quite the opposite - even if we were not always of the same opinion, we had a good relationship.

"I admire him as a coach and despite a difficult season with a lot of injury misfortune, he still ended it with a good title.

"It's been two years since United last won a title and I think that was a good ending for him."