Edwin van der Sar

The times when Old Trafford an automatic first choice keeper are currently a thing of the past. Recently, Peter Schmeichel (1991-1999, 398 appearances) and Edwin van der Sar (2005-2011, 266 appearances) made the spot their own and were outstanding amongst the sticks, amassing a wealthy collection of silverware in the process. ‘The Great Dane’ and ‘The Quiet Dutchman’ were true-leaders on and off the pitch even though they had completely different characters. Whereas Schmeichel imposed his physique over his rivals in the box and had a penchant for making ‘impossible’ saves, Van de Sar commanded the back-four by using his experience and intelligence, ‘Mr. Reliable’ was always at the right place and almost never made a mistake.

In addition, both legends enjoyed the tranquility of decent cover behind them when they missed the odd game. Raimond van der Gouw was Schmeichel’s understudy for several seasons, while Tomasz Kuszczak and Ben Foster played second fiddle to Van der Sar over a number of years. However, neither were ever deemed good enough by Sir Alex Ferguson to inherit such a pivotal position in the squad and ultimately were either sold or release. On the other hand, between 1999 and 2005 a breed of goalkeeper tried to consolidate themselves as United’s #1 but none of them possessed the attributes to do so. Mark Bosnich, Fabien Barthez, Tim Howard, Roy Carroll and bizarre signings such as Massimo Taibi and Ricardo López all failed to make an impact.

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The 20 year-old Spanish keeper was dealt a tough introduction to English football and immediately gained his critics.

Many believed that De Gea’s signing was a huge risk by Ferguson, not only due to the Spaniards inexperience but because of the staggering fee paid by United for his services.

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While Manchester United fans around the globe are still coming to terms with the loss of one of the finest goalkeeper’s in our history, there is great reason to be optimistic about the future.

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Before the title of this article gets drawn out of context, I believe that Sir Alex Ferguson makes the right decision on most occasions.

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An intelligent, polite and well presented man, the ‘Ice Rabbit’ was an incredibly talented goalkeeper who will be remembered for his calm assurance which led us to so many great victories.

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As the player most likely to single-handedly influence the result of any game- the goalkeeper is a key player in any team.

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Starting XI:

Edwin Van Der Sar – 7

In his farewell appearance at Old Trafford, Edwin would have been disappointed to concede 2 goals.

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The time has nearly come to say goodbye to Edwin Van der Sar. Faced with the unenviable task of replacing the composed, experienced veteran, Sir Alex Ferguson and his scouting team identified a talented group of accomplished young keepers

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The United goalkeeper today tendered his retirement from football at the end of the season. Although the news was expected, every United fan was hoping that the Dutch stopper would extend his stay for just one more season.

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