Manchester, April 30 (IANS): Manchester United coach Louis van Gaal was left red-faced on Saturday after erroneously claiming that they have very little title-winning experience.

The Dutchman said much of his squad was not used to be champions ahead of their meeting with Leicester City who are on the brink of winning their maiden English Premier League title.

"The players who are now playing, they are not used to being champions," van Gaal was quoted as saying by Mirror.co.uk.

"I don't think Matteo Darmian is used to being a champion and David De Gea was never champion, so I don't agree with the way you make the question. Memphis Depay was a champion last year (with PSV Eindhoven) so not many players... Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick, they have been the champions once, or maybe more than once."

The likes of Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick and De Gea, whom the coach named, have all won titles with United in the last few years. Others like Bastian Schweinsteiger have won eight Bundesliga crowns with Bayern Munich, Daley Blind four titles with Ajax and Marouane Fellaini one title with Standard Liege.

Van Gaal also claimed that the team was in a transitional phase and their main aim now is to qualify for the Champions League.

"It is a process of transition, and now we are fighting for the qualification for the Champions League and we are still in the FA Cup, so we have to fight for something and we shall do it and hopefully we can beat Leicester," he said.

Asked if he was involved in planning for next season, despite his job being under threat, the Dutchman said,"I am involved, so that is not really any discussion. That is also logical, because I am the manager."