Edwin van der Sar

Edwin van der Sar (born 29 October 1970) is a Dutch football executive and former player, widely considered one of the greatest goalkeepers ever. Most recently, he served as chief executive of Eredivisie club Ajax. Van der Sar started his senior career with Ajax in the early 1990s, part of the club’s golden generation. He was in goal when Ajax won the 1995 UEFA Champions League.

After leaving Ajax in 1999, he played for Juventus, then moved to England with Fulham, and joined Manchester United in 2005. With United, he won a second Champions League title in 2008, becoming one of only eight players at the time to win the competition with two different clubs. He retired as a professional in 2011 but briefly came out of retirement in 2016 to play one match for Dutch amateur side Noordwijk, where he had played as a youth. Van der Sar earned 130 caps for the Netherlands, making him the nation’s most-capped player until Wesley Sneijder surpassed him in 2017.

Regarded by critics and fellow players as one of the best goalkeepers ever, Van der Sar is also among the most decorated footballers, winning 26 major trophies, mainly with Ajax and Manchester United. In the 2008–09 season, he set a world record by going 1,311 league minutes without conceding a goal. He is also the oldest player to win the Premier League, doing so in 2011 at age 40 years and 205 days. His individual honors include Best European Goalkeeper in 1995 and 2009, and UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year in 2009.

Born in Voorhout, Van der Sar began at hometown club Foreholte, then Noordwijk. At a relatively late age, Louis van Gaal noticed him, and he signed for Ajax. He joined the reserve team and waited for his first-team chance under Van Gaal. He had a long, successful stint with the senior side, winning the 1991–92 UEFA Cup (though as a reserve, making no appearances) and the 1994–95 UEFA Champions League (as starting goalkeeper), plus the 1995 Best European Goalkeeper award, along with domestic honors.

He played in the 1996 Champions League final but ended with a runner-up medal after Ajax lost a penalty shootout to Juventus. He made 226 appearances for Ajax and scored a penalty in an 8–1 win over De Graafschap in 1997–98. In his first full season as Ajax’s No. 1, he won Dutch Football Goalkeeper of the Year, then retained it for three more consecutive years. In 1999, Van der Sar’s reputation attracted Manchester United, who wanted a replacement for Peter Schmeichel, but he moved to Juventus for about £5 million.

He debuted in a 1–1 draw with Reggina at the Stadio delle Alpi, becoming the first non-Italian goalkeeper for the Turin club. He was first-choice in his first two seasons, making 66 Serie A appearances as Juventus finished league runners-up twice under Carlo Ancelotti, with the best defensive record each time. He won the 1999 UEFA Intertoto Cup and helped the team contend for the Serie A title. On the final day of 1999–2000, Juventus lost to Perugia after Van der Sar was beaten by Alessandro Calori’s volley, allowing Lazio to overtake them by one point.

The next season was less successful: Juventus exited early from both the Coppa Italia and Champions League, and Van der Sar made several errors, notably spilling Hidetoshi Nakata’s shot in a 2–2 draw with Roma on 6 May 2001, which cost Juventus two points in the title race. In summer 2001, Juventus signed Gianluigi Buffon for a world-record goalkeeper fee, and Van der Sar, unwilling to be second-choice, made clear he wanted to leave after two years in Italy.

On 1 August 2001, Van der Sar joined newly promoted Fulham for £7 million on a four-year contract, calling the move a “nice friendly atmosphere” where he felt “appreciated.” He made his league debut on 18 August 2001 in a 2–3 away loss to Manchester United. He made 127 league appearances for Fulham. In his final season, he saved two penalties from Juan Pablo Ángel in a 1–1 draw with Aston Villa.

His performances caught the eye of Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson. Van der Sar signed for Manchester United on 10 June 2005 for a reported £2 million (undisclosed exact fee). Sir Alex Ferguson considers him the best goalkeeper for the club since Peter Schmeichel. On 5 May 2007, his penalty save from Darius Vassell secured a 1–0 win over Manchester City in the derby. The next day, Chelsea’s failure to beat Arsenal meant United won their ninth Premier League title.