Edwin van der Sar facts for kids
Van der Sar in 2015
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Edwin van der Sar | ||
| Date of birth | 29 October 1970 | ||
| Place of birth | Voorhout, Netherlands | ||
| Height | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1980–1985 | Foreholte | ||
| 1985–1990 | VV Noordwijk | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1990–1999 | Ajax | 226 | (1) |
| 1999–2001 | Juventus | 66 | (0) |
| 2001–2005 | Fulham | 127 | (0) |
| 2005–2011 | Manchester United | 186 | (0) |
| 2016 | VV Noordwijk | 1 | (0) |
| Total | 606 | (1) | |
| International career | |||
| 1995–2008 | Netherlands | 130 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Edwin van der Sar (born 29 October 1970) is a Dutch football expert and former professional player. He played as a goalkeeper. He was most recently the chief executive of Ajax. He started his senior playing career with Ajax in the early 1990s.
Many people think he was part of Ajax's "golden generation." He helped Ajax win the UEFA Champions League in 1995. In 1999, he moved to Juventus in Italy. After two years, he moved to England, playing for Fulham and then Manchester United in 2005.
At Manchester United, he won a second Champions League title in 2008. This made him one of only eight players at the time to win the competition with two different clubs. He stopped playing professionally in 2011. However, he briefly played one match for his old amateur team, VV Noordwijk, in 2016. He played 130 times for the Netherlands national team. He was the most-capped Dutch player until 2017.
Many experts and other players believe Van der Sar is one of the best goalkeepers ever. He is also one of the most successful footballers, winning 26 major trophies. Most of these wins were with Ajax and Manchester United. In the 2008–09 season, he set a world record. He did not let in a goal in league games for 1,311 minutes! He is also the oldest player to win the Premier League. He achieved this in 2011 when he was 40 years old. Van der Sar has won many individual awards, like Best European Goalkeeper in 1995 and 2009.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Ajax
Edwin van der Sar was born in Voorhout, Netherlands. He began his football journey at his hometown club, Foreholte. Later, he played for VV Noordwijk. A famous coach, Louis van Gaal, noticed him. Van der Sar then joined Ajax.
He started in the reserve team and worked his way up. He became the main goalkeeper for Ajax. He helped them win the 1991–92 UEFA Cup (though he was a reserve then). He was the starting goalkeeper when Ajax won the 1994–95 UEFA Champions League. He also won the 1995 Best European Goalkeeper award.
In 1996, he was in goal for the 1996 UEFA Champions League Final. However, Ajax lost that game in a penalty shootout to Juventus. He played 226 games for Ajax. In the 1997–98 season, he even scored a penalty kick! He won the Dutch Football Goalkeeper of the Year award four years in a row.
Time with Juventus
In 1999, Van der Sar was seen as one of Europe's top goalkeepers. He moved to the Italian club Juventus. He was the first non-Italian goalkeeper to play for the Turin club.
He was the main goalkeeper for his first two seasons in Italy. He played 66 Serie A games. Juventus finished second in the league twice during his time there. They also had the best defence in the league. In his first season, he helped Juventus win the 1999 UEFA Intertoto Cup.
However, the next season was not as good. Juventus was knocked out early from the Italian Cup and the Champions League. In 2001, Juventus bought another famous goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon. Van der Sar decided to leave Juventus after two years.
Moving to Fulham
On 1 August 2001, Van der Sar decided to play in England. He joined Fulham, a team that had just been promoted. He signed a four-year contract. He said he liked the "friendly atmosphere" at Fulham.
He played his first league game for Fulham on 18 August 2001. It was a 3–2 loss against Manchester United. He played 127 league games for Fulham in total. In one memorable game against Aston Villa, he saved two penalties. His great performances at Fulham caught the eye of Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager of Manchester United.
Success at Manchester United
Van der Sar joined Manchester United on 10 June 2005. Sir Alex Ferguson, the former Manchester United manager, said Van der Sar was the best goalkeeper for the club since Peter Schmeichel.
On 5 May 2007, he saved a penalty against Manchester City. This helped Manchester United win 1–0. The next day, Manchester United won their ninth Premier League title. This was Van der Sar's first Premier League title. He was also chosen for the 2006–07 PFA Team of the Year. A few months later, he helped Manchester United win the FA Community Shield. He saved three penalties in a shootout against Chelsea.
The 2007–08 season was one of Van der Sar's best. He played very well, even with a small injury. He helped United win their second Premier League title in a row. He also helped them win the Champions League. He saved the last penalty in the shootout against Nicolas Anelka.
Van der Sar signed a new contract with Manchester United in December 2008. This kept him at the club until at least the end of the 2009–10 season.
On 27 January 2009, Van der Sar helped Manchester United set a new record. They went 11 games and 1,032 minutes without letting in a goal. This broke the old Premier League record. He then broke the overall English league record. He went 1,311 minutes without letting in a goal in the league. These clean sheets were very important for United winning their 11th Premier League title. He also won the Premier League Golden Glove award for 2008–09.
However, Manchester United lost the Champions League final to Barcelona in May 2009. Even so, he won the Best European Goalkeeper award for the second time. He was also named in the PFA Team of the Year.
Van der Sar had a finger injury in 2009. He missed the first 12 games of the 2009–10 season. He returned to play in October 2009. He signed another contract extension in February 2010.
In December 2010, it was reported that Van der Sar would retire at the end of the 2010–11 Premier League season. He confirmed this in January 2011. On 12 March, he was named Man of the Match in an FA Cup game against Arsenal. He made many great saves. He was also included in the PFA Team of the Year for the third time.
On 22 May 2011, he played his last game at Old Trafford. Manchester United won 4–2 against Blackpool. He was the captain for this farewell game. His very last game for United was against Barcelona in the 2011 UEFA Champions League Final on 28 May. United lost 3–1. At 40 years old, he was the oldest male player to play in a Champions League final. After this match, Van der Sar retired from playing football.
International Career
Van der Sar was part of the Netherlands squad for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. However, he did not play in any games. He made his international debut on 7 June 1995, against Belarus. He was the goalkeeper when the Netherlands lost three times in major tournaments due to penalty shootouts: Euro 96, the 1998 World Cup, and Euro 2000. The Netherlands did not qualify for the 2002 World Cup.
1998 World Cup Journey
Van der Sar helped the Netherlands reach the semi-finals of the 1998 FIFA World Cup. They lost to Brazil 4–2 in a penalty shootout after a 1–1 draw. In the third-place game, the Netherlands lost to Croatia.
In the quarter-finals against Argentina, Van der Sar had a moment with Ariel Ortega. Ortega was sent off for headbutting Van der Sar. Soon after, Dennis Bergkamp scored the winning goal for the Netherlands.
Euro 2000 Performance
Van der Sar started the first two group games for the Netherlands at UEFA Euro 2000. He got injured in their 3–0 win over Denmark. He returned for the quarter-finals. In the semi-final against Italy, Van der Sar kept a clean sheet. The game ended in a 0–0 draw. It went to a penalty shootout. Van der Sar saved a penalty from Italy's captain Paolo Maldini. However, the Netherlands only scored one of their four kicks and lost 3–1. Van der Sar did not let in any goals during the tournament.
Euro 2004 and Penalty Saves
During the penalty shootout in the Euro 2004 quarter-final against Sweden, Van der Sar saved a penalty from Olof Mellberg. The Netherlands won the shootout 5–4. They then moved on to the semi-finals, where they lost to Portugal.
2006 World Cup and Records
Before the 2006 World Cup group game against Côte d'Ivoire, Van der Sar had not let in a goal in nine straight competitive matches. As captain of the Netherlands, he broke Frank de Boer's record for most international games played for his country. This happened in the 2006 World Cup second-round match against Portugal.
Euro 2008 and Retirement
On his 37th birthday, Van der Sar said he planned to retire from international football after Euro 2008. He was the captain in their impressive 3–0 win over Italy. He also captained the team in their 4–1 win over France. On 21 June, he played in the 3–1 quarter-final loss against Russia. This was thought to be his last international game. He played 16 games in European Championship finals, matching a record. He was also named in the team of the tournament. After Euro 2008, Van der Sar had played more minutes in the European Football Championship than any other player.
2010 World Cup Qualifiers
On 3 October 2008, Van der Sar agreed to come out of international retirement. This was for the Netherlands' 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification matches. Other goalkeepers were injured. Van der Sar kept a clean sheet in both matches. The Netherlands won 2–0 against Iceland and 1–0 against Norway. In Oslo, the Dutch beat Norway 1–0. This was Van der Sar's 130th game, a record for a Dutch player. He remained the Dutch team's most-capped player until Wesley Sneijder passed him in 2017.
Playing Style
Van der Sar is considered one of the greatest goalkeepers in football history. He was tall and athletic. He was very good at coming off his line to catch crosses. He was also known for his calm attitude and long career. He was excellent at stopping shots and organizing his defence.
He was also very good with the ball at his feet. He could make accurate passes with both feet. This allowed him to start quick attacks from his goal area. He could also help build up attacking plays by passing the ball on the ground. Because he was so good with the ball and could rush out, he sometimes played as a "sweeper-keeper." This was especially true during his time at Ajax.
After Playing Football
On 3 August 2011, a special game was played in honour of Van der Sar. It was held at the Amsterdam Arena. The match featured his "dream team" against the current Ajax first team. Many famous players like Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, and Ryan Giggs played in his dream team. Alex Ferguson was their manager.
Before this main match, two shorter games took place. One was between the Ajax and Manchester United youth teams. The other featured Ajax's 1995 team against the Netherlands national team from 1998. Many legends like Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Kluivert played.
The event raised a lot of money for charities. Van der Sar later announced he would start his own charity foundation. After retiring, Van der Sar worked as a football analyst for a Dutch TV channel. His son, Joe, once wrote that his father would be a goalkeeping coach at Ajax within five years. Van der Sar said he was interested in coaching, starting slowly at lower levels.
On 27 May 2012, Van der Sar played in the Soccer Aid 2012 Match. He played for the Rest of the World team. He also took part in the Soccer Aid 2014 match.
Van der Sar became Ajax's marketing director on 19 November 2012. He was promoted to CEO in late 2016. On 12 March 2016, Van der Sar made a brief return to football. He played one match for his old youth club, VV Noordwijk. They had many injured players. He saved a penalty and let in one goal in the game, which ended 1–1. In May 2023, he resigned as Ajax CEO.
Personal Life
Edwin van der Sar and his wife, Annemarie van Kesteren, have two children. They got married in Amsterdam on 20 May 2006. Van der Sar's son, Joe, was on the field celebrating when his father saved a penalty in Euro 2004. In December 2009, Van Kesteren was admitted to the hospital. She had a serious health issue. Van der Sar took time off from football to be with her. She has since made a good recovery.
In July 2023, Van der Sar was admitted to intensive care in hospital after suffering a brain hemorrhage. He was discharged from the unit two weeks later.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Ajax | 1990–91 | Eredivisie | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
| 1991–92 | Eredivisie | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1992–93 | Eredivisie | 19 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 | ||
| 1993–94 | Eredivisie | 32 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 0 | ||
| 1994–95 | Eredivisie | 33 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 0 | ||
| 1995–96 | Eredivisie | 33 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 11 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 50 | 0 | ||
| 1996–97 | Eredivisie | 33 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 0 | ||
| 1997–98 | Eredivisie | 33 | 1 | 5 | 0 | – | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 1 | ||
| 1998–99 | Eredivisie | 34 | 0 | 5 | 0 | – | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 0 | ||
| Total | 226 | 1 | 23 | 0 | – | 55 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 312 | 1 | |||
| Juventus | 1999–2000 | Serie A | 32 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 0 | |
| 2000–01 | Serie A | 34 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 0 | ||
| Total | 66 | 0 | 5 | 0 | – | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 88 | 0 | |||
| Fulham | 2001–02 | Premier League | 37 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 0 |
| 2002–03 | Premier League | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 | |
| 2003–04 | Premier League | 37 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 0 | |
| 2004–05 | Premier League | 34 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 0 | |
| Total | 127 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 154 | 0 | ||
| Manchester United | 2005–06 | Premier League | 38 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 0 |
| 2006–07 | Premier League | 32 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 0 | |
| 2007–08 | Premier League | 29 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 0 | |
| 2008–09 | Premier League | 33 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 49 | 0 | |
| 2009–10 | Premier League | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 0 | |
| 2010–11 | Premier League | 33 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 0 | |
| Total | 186 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 56 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 266 | 0 | ||
| VV Noordwijk | 2015–16 | Hoofdklasse Saturday B | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Career total | 606 | 1 | 56 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 139 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 821 | 1 | ||
International Appearances
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 1995 | 5 | 0 |
| 1996 | 10 | 0 | |
| 1997 | 6 | 0 | |
| 1998 | 14 | 0 | |
| 1999 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 12 | 0 | |
| 2001 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2002 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2003 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 17 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 12 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 8 | 0 | |
| Total | 130 | 0 | |
Trophies and Awards
Team Honours
Ajax
- Eredivisie: 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1997–98
- KNVB Cup: 1992–93, 1997–98, 1998–99
- Dutch Supercup: 1993, 1994, 1995
- UEFA Champions League: 1994–95; runner-up: 1995–96
- UEFA Cup: 1991–92
- UEFA Super Cup: 1995
- Intercontinental Cup: 1995
Juventus
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1999
Fulham
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2002
Manchester United
- Premier League: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11
- Football League Cup: 2005–06, 2009–10
- FA Community Shield: 2007, 2008, 2010
- UEFA Champions League: 2007–08; runner-up: 2008–09, 2010–11
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2008
Individual Awards
- Dutch Football Goalkeeper of the Year: 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
- Best European Goalkeeper: 1995, 2009
- ESM Team of the Year: 1995–96, 2008–09
- Ajax Player of the Year (Rinus Michels Award): 1997–98
- Dutch Golden Shoe: 1998
- Fulham Player of the Year: 2004
- PFA Premier League Team of the Year: 2006–07, 2008–09, 2010–11
- UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2008
- Premier League Merit Award: 2008–09
- Premier League Golden Glove: 2008–09
- UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year: 2009
Orders and Special Recognition
- Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau: 2010
- JFK Greatest Man Award: 29 October 2011
See also
In Spanish: Edwin van der Sar para niños
- List of footballers with 100 or more caps
