Rio Ferdinand has expressed his belief that Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal and his players have mutual trust which has helped them to be successful at the World Cup.

The 62-year-old made the decision to replace keeper Jasper Cillessen for Tim Krul in his side's penalty shootout with Costa Rica in their quarter-final clash.

The Newcastle United keeper saved two penalties to guide the Oranje into the last four of the tournament, and Ferdinand feels that the mutual respect in the Netherlands camp is a recipe for success.

He wrote in his column in the Daily Mail: "I'm sure you've heard all the stories of how eccentric he can be but I've not heard a bad word about him from any player he's worked with. He's a hard man, strong, big on discipline within the football environment. But he also trusts his players.

"The other night I was in a bar with some of his Holland squad. They were mixing with the public, having a bite to eat. They knew their curfew and would respect it.

"He believes in his players. They believe in him. Having faith in the man in charge is a huge part of achieving success in our game. The best managers earn that faith."

The Netherlands face Argentina in their semi-final on Wednesday in Sao Paulo.