It could be a fairytale career ending for van der Sar

Legend. Van der Sar living up to film star billing given the performances he has put in for United in the last few years

Manchester United may be on course for a second treble-winning season but one man that has helped them get to this position has eye on bowing out in a real blaze of glory.

At the ripe old age of 40, the evergreen goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar will retire at the end of the season. Forget a testimonial, the way his team are playing, his swansong could be a Champions League final at Wembley. What he would give for a European-cup winning save in the same way he denied Nicolas Anelka in the penalty shootout in Moscow in 2008.

Along with Ryan Giggs, van der Sar in as an old stager who unlike many United players, is actually well-liked at grounds around the country. And like Giggs, he is playing some of his best football in the twilight of his career.

Only two years ago van der Sar passed the record for the longest period without conceding a league goal, going 14 games and 1,311 minutes without picking the ball out of the net. He remains just a reliable an asset for Sir Alex Ferguson and an imposing figure for opposition forwards today.

I have watched van der Sar in the flesh on one occasion, in goal for Fulham in a league match against Chelsea in 2004. At that time I was not the only person who felt that he had had his day and was in the middle of seeing out a successful career in a nice part of London with a mid-range Premiership side, playing for a few more years without too many expectations before putting his feet up and looking back at a successful career.

Indeed it had indeed been a successful career, with over 200 appearances for Ajax, including a goal but more importantly four Eredivisie titles and a Champions League in 1995, before going to Italy with Juventus.

How wrong was I? In 2005 he moved up north and became one of Sir Alex’s best ever bargains at just £2m. In that time he became the Netherlands most capped player with 130 appearances, a three-time Premier League champion and a member of an exclusive club to win the Champions League with two clubs, as well as a string of individual awards – all in his late thirties. Like so many great Dutchmen, a World Cup or a Euro trophy is what is missing.


Evergreen. Van der Sar leaps in the search for his third Champions League winners medal

Instead of fizzling out at Fulham, he has rivalled Peter Schmeichel as of Manchester United’s, and indeed the Premier League’s best ever keepers.

The trouble for Sir Alex is that this has made him almost irreplaceable. Left-back Patrice Evra told an
Italian newspaper: “We hope that Van der Sar will remain with us for another year. “I say that to him every day."

Evra was talking amid rumours that Gianluigi Buffon, another proven veteran keeper, could be his replacement next season. Buffon is 33, so by van der Sar’s standards even with a World Cup winner’s medal he still has room to improve, but maybe United could make an even more long term decision and signer a younger name. Ben Foster showed promise, but he wanted first team football which prompted a move to Birmingham City and now van der Sar’s understudy Thomasz Kuszczak is making similar noises. The favourite at the moment is 20-year-old Spaniard David de Gea, currently at Atletico Madrid, but experts have said he lacks the experience to handle the expectation at Old Trafford.


Whether they opt for youth or experience between the sticks. Van der Sar’s presence may hang around a little longer, especially if yet another Champions League title is on the list.