Edwin Van Der Sar at the worst of times, never looks troubled by pretty much anything going on around him. So I’m sure turning 40 this week won’t change his façade, but are United starting to think that time is up for the veteran goalkeeper?
Sir Alex Ferguson has always been one to stick by his favourites and who can blame him? At United, loyalty is rewarded with longevity and it’s hard to picture the likes of Gary Neville for example, still competing at the highest possible level if they were at another club.
But trophies aren’t won simply by players who pledge allegiance to their club. Van Der Sar, the most capped Dutch player in history, remains United’s number one because he is one of the best around and certainly the best Alex Ferguson has at his disposal.
Talk of retirement at the end of the season was quickly rebuffed by the former Fulham custodian, who then went on to state he didn’t know when he was going to hang up the gloves. Now rumours are circulating that Ferguson is set to offer the veteran yet another one year extension to his contract.
The United manager would have given this some thought. There is no doubting the technical ability, but at an age considered old even for a keeper, the question marks would have surrounded his agility and fitness.
Another important attribute I’m sure Ferguson would have considered is the influence around the training ground Van Der Sar has. An understated characteristic at a club like United where players are made and broken overnight.
Replacements have been lined up for a long time so there is no denying the search is on for the next worlds greatest keeper. But Ferguson himself openly admits, it takes a special type of person to succeed in the sticks at Old Trafford.
Ben Foster was supposed to have forced Van Der Sar into an ‘early’ retirement by now and was a shoe-in to be England’s number one for last years World Cup, according to some pundits. But he couldn’t handle the occasion of Old Trafford, and ultimately never displayed the potential he once showed.
Stretching back before Van Der Sar even begun his United career and Ferguson was enduring the same frustrating search to replace Peter Schmeichel.
Mark Bosnich was a disappointment, Fabien Barthez kept the United manager awake at night with his over zealous performances and the less said about Massimo Taibi the better.
So Ferguson and co will play the waiting game. The calmness and reliability of the Dutchman is something the manager holds with the greatest importance and Van Der Sar hasn’t given him any reason to doubt that that is all about to change.
He can’t go on forever, of course. The recent mistake against West Brom combined with his 40th birthday will give the media enough reason to link United with every top quality keeper around, Pepe Reina being one of them.
But fans of United shouldn’t be concerned if the shot stopper enters his 41st year in United’s colours as efforts are surely being made to secure a long term replacement. But when, and only when, the right choice comes along.
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