'Stern' Van Gaal shocks players by letting his 'hair down' to sing Sinatra songs at Man U's Christmas bash

Manchester United players were reportedly left shocked after their manager Louis van Gaal ditched his ruthless demeanour by singing late American singer's Frank Sinatra songs at their Christmas bash.

The Old Trafford boss has made a career out of being a hard man when it comes to winning trophies, but away from the pitch the Dutchman reportedly loves a singsong and a proper knees-up.

Former United chief Sir Alex Ferguson ruled by fear during his 26-year reign as the most successful manager in domestic football, but he never ditched his stern outfit to soothe the players with his mellow tones on the karaoke, The Mirror reported.

Van Gaal has quickly developed a no-nonsense reputation like Ferguson and he would be expecting his players to be just as ruthless when they face Liverpool on Sunday. But the likes of Wayne Rooney, Angel Di Maria, Juan Mata and David De Gea, who have been taught to abide by the rules, were reportedly stunned by their manager's Sinatra party piece.

During the first-team festivities at The Place Aparthotel in Manchester the 63-year-old Dutchman looked on with assistant boss Ryan Giggs and the rest of his staff while stars like Rooney took to the stage to sing. But Van Gaal then shocked his players by getting on to the stage and taking the microphone himself to chant Sinatra favourites.

A United source said that the manager was really getting into his singing and was in no hurry to stop so he stayed up there for a couple of numbers, adding that the Dutchman comes across as a really tough manager who expects everyone to follow his orders in all football matters because he likes to be in total control of that part of his club just like Ferguson.

But, the source also claimed that Van Gaal has another side and the players loved it, adding that they appreciated that although he is the manager he is one of them too and is a stickler for maintaining the team spirit.

The source said that Van Gaal has gone out of his way to make sure the harmony in the dressing room is as good as it can be and the Christmas party was another clear sign that he's building something good with his players on and off the pitch.

The source claimed that the players have strict rules to follow, especially at meal times and for team meetings where the boss doesn't tolerate anyone being late, but added that the Dutchman likes to let his hair down when the occasion demands and he really entered into the spirit of the Christmas party.