Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has praised Louis van Gaal for overhauling the squad at Old Trafford while maintaining the Premier League club’s long tradition of giving young players a chance. Dutchman Van Gaal, who took over at United in July, spent around £150 million ($238.8 million) to bring in six new players, including Argentine Angel di Maria for a British record fee.

The former Netherlands coach also let go a number of players who were signed or nurtured by Ferguson, causing critics to question the club’s new policy of signing foreigners in favour of home-grown talent. But Ferguson, who lead the club to 13 league titles during his glittering 26-year reign, backed Van Gaal’s recruitment policy, which included signing Colombia striker Radamel Falcao on a season-long loan.

“It was really important because you need quality at Manchester United, you need the best players,” Ferguson, speaking for the first time about Van Gaal’s start at Old Trafford, told MUTV.

“When you can identify ability like that needed by Manchester United, they have the resources to do that. Those are fees I never quite equalled but nonetheless they were needing quite a big injection this year. Maybe he’s doing the right thing to clear the decks and build his own team, because he’s got the experience and coaching ability to do that. I think the way he’s approached is brilliant,” he added.