Munich - Bayern Munich captain Mark van Bommel will welcome fellow-Dutchman Louis van Gaal with open arms if he is appointed coach at Germany's number one club.

"I worked with him for two years in the national team and had a very good experience with him. He would be a great coach for us," van Bommel told Thursday's edition of the Muenchner Merkur daily.

Munich need a new coach after the recent firing of Juergen Klinsmann. Jupp Heynckes is acting as caretaker until the end of the season.

Van Gaal, 57, appears the top candidate for the job as Munich players and officials speak highly of him. He has just led AZ Alkmaar to the Dutch title and his previous stops include Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona and the Netherlands team.

"I have never heard a player make negative remarks on him. The players in Alkmaar last year even fought his planned sacking. That says it all," said van Bommel. (dpa)