The South American pair, along with Sergio Aguero, lost out on glory in Brazil when Mario Gotze fired in an extra-time winner to break Argentine hearts in the Maracana and back home.

Manchester United veterans Phil Neville and Nicky Butt will find out in the coming days whether their services are required at the club for the forthcoming season.

Van Gaal’s first home game at Old Trafford will be against Valencia on August 12, which will be the final pre-season game and has been dubbed as ‘Reunited14’

The proposed memorial will read ‘Blue Moon – You Saw Me Standing Alone’.

The first semi-final of 2014 was expected to be close, only for Germany to demolish the Neymar-less hosts – in the blizzard of social media reaction, Mancunians were not shy in making their feelings known

Attacking midfielder Ashley Young and right back Rafael both celebrate their birthdays today and the United Twitter account was quick to mark the special occasion.

The World Cup in Brazil has been one of the greatest in living memory but strangely absent from the limelight have been a vast array of under performing Premier League stars.

Manchester City’s cousins from Down Under – after Melbourne Heart were rebranded last month – are holding a 17-day training camp in the UK before returning to Australia for their FFA Cup clash against Sydney FC.

Spaniard De Gea has been impressed with the high-profile footballing stars that have recently moved over to the MLS (Major League Soccer), including compatriot David Villa and Brazilian legend Kaka.

Eight different players from Manchester’s big two have netted a combined ten goals as the competition enters the quarter-final stage – add one more goal from Wigan’s Jean Beausejour and Greater Manchester is comfortably the country’s most dominant region.

MP David Crausby, who has represented Bolton North East since 1997, has re-launched a campaign to change the way grassroots football is funded.