By the time a footballer reaches 30, he is usually past the peak of his career, with waning enthusiasm and an abundance of injuries bringing him closer to the decision to hang up his boots. But goalkeepers are an exception to this rule: they are like fine wine - they get better every year. They go against the flow, winning as many minutes from Time as possible. The best goalkeepers in the world decide for themselves when to retire. And injuries are almost never the reason for this.

Edwin Van der Sar is the best of the best goalkeepers in the world, a top-class player who has no equal, he exceeded all the wildest expectations at a time when everyone had already written him off. This is not some kind of artisanal wine; he is a noble wine of the colors of Ajax and Manchester United, of which he is rightfully considered a legend. He ended his career playing in one of the best clubs in world football, thus putting an end to football history, poor in sudden changes and devoid of high expectations. Ajax -> Juventus -> Fulham -> Manchester United - briefly about his career.

Like so much about Ajax, Van der Sar's early career was influenced by Johan Cruyff, part-time footballer and philosopher and full-time genius. He visualized a 3-4-3 formation in which the goalkeeper is the same field player as the other 10, except with gloves. He changed the general understanding of the role of the goalkeeper, proposing to interpret football as nothing less than a “game of goalkeepers.” He was looking for a goalkeeper who would be "the finishing touch to his picture of total football."

Stanley Menzo was Cruyff's first taste of the game, the goalkeeper he described as the most important player in the 1987 European Cup Winners' Cup-winning squad. Menzo read the game well and passed the ball with ease. He was at the same time an unsurpassed “flying” goalkeeper, actively participating in the actions of the field players. But he became only a “pilot version” of the sweeping goalkeeper whom Cruyff wanted to see in his team. His mistake in the 1992 UEFA Cup final cost him his place in the team. Van der Sar replaced Menzo. If Menzo even disappointed his mentor somewhere, then Van der Sar completely solved his dilemma of finding the ideal goalkeeper.

Cruyff's legacy at Ajax is extensive, but his famous system rarely paid due attention to the goalkeeper position. But it was his special ideals that formed the basis for the rise of the lanky boy from Warhout. A native of one of the Dutch villages located on the plains of the Netherlands, he late declared himself in professional football. At the age of 10, he joined the Foreholte club, where he played for five years, and then moved to Noordwijk for another five years.

And there an event happened that changed his fate for the better. Youth team coach Ruud Bröning often played cards with Ajax coach Louis van Gaal. When Van Gaal said that he was looking for a goalkeeper, Bröning offered him Van der Sar, who immediately interested him.

Although he never even dreamed of performing at a professional level, he simply could not refuse Ajax, who were interested in his services. The move was a huge step for the inexperienced goalkeeper. But even then, there was no better place in the world to hone skills and talent. Van der Sar played his debut match under the leadership of Leo Beenhakker. Due to Menzo's injury at the end of the 1990/91 season, he played nine matches in a row.

The twenty-year-old guy had the habits of a gymnast, which did not quite fit into the typical scheme of actions of a goalkeeper. He conceded just three goals in nine matches, but one of them cost Ajax three points against sixteenth-place GSK Sappemer and ultimately victory in the Eredivisie. The team lost the championship to PSV. Van der Sar acted quite confidently against strong opponents. The appearance of Van Gaal in his life was the impetus for the development of his career, but it was Frans Hoek, who was already a skilled goalkeeper trainer, who helped Van der Sar play in such a way that he best suited Cruyff’s vision of the ideal goalkeeper.

Considering the fact that Van der Sar started his career as a defender, it is not surprising that he was able to achieve such success in launching attacks. He was a tall and powerful player, so no one doubted that this position suited him perfectly. And yet he was destined to link his fate with the goal frame and goalie gloves. He once recalled the modest story of his transformation from defender to goalkeeper: “One day the team didn’t have a goalkeeper, and the coach told me: “Since you’re our tallest, go to the goal, my friend.” The same thing happened to many goalkeepers.”

It was a sign: his destiny was to play within the frame. His progress in the Ajax system was not so rapid. During the entire 1991/92 season, he never received a minute of playing time, but managed to take advantage of the situation, disappearing at the training base and honing his goalkeeping skills under the guidance of Hook.

His work in two training sessions a day mostly focused on strengthening his weak areas. But in Ajax's goalkeeper training, what mattered most was improving the two main aspects of their game. In one of his interviews, Raymond Verheyen spoke about them in detail. “The most important aspects of the game that are most emphasized are the ability to participate as an 11th player and the ability to return the ball correctly.”

Hook believed that it was very important to get it right and as quickly as possible, so he had to play as high as possible and find his teammate without fail. He was so convinced of this that he even practiced this game episode separately during training. Ajax's mentality of getting back into action as quickly as possible benefited van der Sar's progress and helped him eventually become a sweeping goalkeeper. Frans Hoek's coaching methods for preparing goalkeepers are known all over the world, and it was van der Sar who became his first student.

Van der Sar was strong in the traditional aspects of a goalkeeper's game - acting in the frame, intercepting serves from the flank, but he did not have a craving for excessive heroism. The latter was especially welcomed by Hook, who preferred the goalkeeper to remain on his feet in all but very emergency situations. It was Hook who initiated him into the mysteries of the art of performing as a sweep goalkeeper.

Made this technique even more popular and valuable. But to achieve success, he had to have high-quality skills and the right attitude. He was trained to organize defense in such a way as to reduce to a minimum the need to make a save. Moreover, if necessary, he had to demonstrate the ability to resolve even the most dangerous situation. According to Cruyff he was "very perfect." That is why his team's brilliant attack began from the defense, or rather from the very heart of that Lamborghini, with the arms and legs of Van der Sar.

After getting his chance at half-time against Cambur in October 1992 as a substitute for Menzo, he went on to make four more appearances in a row. But then Menzo returned to the gate again. The young player wanted to leave for Den Haag, but he was asked to stay and be patient. And after a 2-1 defeat to PSV and two errors by Menzo in the match with Auxerre, van der Sar got his way.

He returned to the starting lineup for the away match against Volendam and never left it again. In each of the following seasons he played at least 40 matches. He was very happy, although he did not show his feelings publicly. Goalkeepers are usually overly expressive, but this Dutchman was an exception to the rule. He was always calm and unshakable. In football it is impossible to do without expressing your emotions, be it triumph or disappointment. But van der Sar never showed anger in case of defeat, and after victory he seemed absolutely calm. He didn't want to throw out his emotions.

Simon Cooper spoke about the episode that occurred after Van der Sar's nightmare match against the Irish national team, as a result of which his team was eliminated from the 2002 World Cup. In the locker room after the final whistle, he noticed how the light of rage was reflected on the mirror table, dancing in his eyes. But instead of throwing thunder and lightning, he simply pushed a paper cup off the table. It was the biggest outburst of rage of his life. At Ajax, he learned the skills of psychological flexibility and emotional control, and they did not leave him even in the most difficult moments.

Van der Sar won numerous titles with Ajax: five Eredivisie titles in five years, three Dutch Cups, a historic Champions League triumph and much more. And then there was a desire to change something. After nine years of playing for the club, no one at Ajax interfered with his desire to leave the club. Van Gaal planned to convey his fate just as carefully and accurately to Sir Alex Ferguson, as if it were the most important pass in his playing career. But this throw was interrupted by the opposing striker in the colors of the Old Lady.

Realizing that Peter Schmeichel would soon leave the team, Ferguson did everything in his power to sign Van der Sar. Despite the differences in playing style, he seemed to be the best replacement for the Dane. But at the time the Scot was also interested in the services of Villa's Mark Bosnich. But it was only after Martin Edwards had already signed Bosnich's contract that Ferguson received a disappointing report on his performance.

Van der Sar, succumbing to the persuasion of the Italian giant, was going to move to Turin. Ferguson said he reached him while “he was waiting for his flight to Turin.” The Scot tried to convince him, but he turned out to be a man of his word. Ferguson was only a day late, which cost him years of disappointment. It seems that this transfer was doomed even before the parties got in touch. And this situation made both sides regret it more than once.

Although van der Sar made 66 appearances for Juventus over two seasons, Turin seemed the wrong place for his unique style. When he joined the club in 1999, he was considered the best goalkeeper in the world, so no one doubted that he would quickly adapt to everything. But it didn't work out.

In the Netherlands he could take risks, but in the Italian calcio they preferred to reduce the risk to a minimum, and this meant reducing the time the ball was in defense. His powers were significantly limited, which affected his self-confidence. And this despite the fact that then he was at the peak of his form. He was supposed to prosper. He was promised that the team would change their style of play to better suit him. But later these words were renounced, especially under the leadership of Carlo Ancelotti.

When van Gaal, who headed Barcelona, ​​invited him to join him, he decided to refuse and stay in Turin. However, the critics who nicknamed him “Van der Gol” were not going to stop. His glaring error against Lazio cost Juventus the Scudetto, but it was not the only one. The club asked him to have his eyes tested. He went to a specialist and lost confidence that he could even catch the ball. So, after the fabulous money paid for Gianluigi Buffon from Parma in 2001, no one doubted that van der Sar had no future in Turin. The "man with oily hands" was forced to leave.

After Italy, he finally moved to England. If you remember what happened next, the conclusion suggests itself: he left Juventus at the right time, because a couple of years later the team was mired in the “Calciopoli” scandal. But Fulham is hardly the best choice. Of the four clubs for which the Dutchman played, this one raises the most questions. Team owner Mohammed Al-Fayed promised to turn the club into the "Manchester United of the south of England." It sounds funny, but it interested him. Armed with a decent salary and the gift of a villa in Richmond, the Dutchman moved to London.

He spent four years there, but this period brought only one disappointment for van der Sar, who was at the peak of his form. Van Gaal, who coaches the Dutch national team, promised him that after his excellent performance at the 2002 World Cup, top clubs would be interested in him. But defeat by the Irish national team dashed all hopes, and Craven Cottage became his home for four whole years.

Despite Arsene Wenger's incredible instincts, it remains a mystery why he ignored Van der Sar's brilliant performances for Fulham against his Arsenal side. He and his family were comfortable in London. But Wenger and Ferguson were stubborn and seemed to deliberately not notice the talented goalkeeper. They ignored Van der Sar, who was standing on their doorstep, and refused to pay compensation. Ferguson eventually got his wish and in 2005, six long years later, he signed van der Sar for £4 million.

After Van der Sar's refusal, Ferguson was doomed to performances by mediocre goalkeepers. But it took him some time to call again. Ruud van Nistelrooy's positive recommendation about Van der Sar's suitability for the team was enough to sign the contract. Life rarely gives you a second chance, but Van der Sar was no stranger to going against common sense. This was his second coming, he was different from the first at Ajax, and it also became fateful. It was a turbo boost to a fading career.

Three Premier League triumphs, many other cups, multiple selections in the team of the season, individual awards and records, including 1,311 minutes without conceding a goal in the Premier League - a record that is unlikely to be broken, and much more - that's what he will always be remembered for at Old Trafford. But still, the most memorable moment in his career was the 2008 Champions League final.

Van der Sar's weak point was penalties: throughout his career, he lost in series more than once. Despite his outward steadfastness, deep down he also wanted to be a hero, and he also wanted to surpass his predecessor in the national team, penalty king Hans van Breukelen. After their meeting, he finally realized that the key to success lies in understanding the opponent's weaknesses, and not in relying on luck. This small nuance opened up huge advantages.

This advice helped him a lot in the following penalty shootouts, especially in that Moscow match. The Chelsea players were told to shoot to the goalkeeper's left as Van der Sar usually fell to the right, but they were in for a surprise. A man of great intelligence won the mind games. As Nicolas Anelka approached the spot, the Dutchman indicated that he was going to fall to his left. This forced the Frenchman to shoot to his right, which was exactly what a smiling Van der Sar needed. In that rare moment, he beamed with happiness. He threw his hands into the sky, because he had overcome his demons. It was the most memorable moment of his career. He deserved a "Van Breukelen moment" and he got it.

When Jaap Visser offered to be his biographer, Van der Sar was concerned that the vicissitudes of his career would not be enough to warrant a book. There were no scandals, gloss or high-profile events in his life. He himself once said: “Sorry, but I’m not very rock and roll.” He was the complete opposite of the explosive Peter Schmeichel. Perhaps he had never even done a wheel before the Champions League final.

Van der Sar never wanted to attract everyone's attention. He preferred to manage the defense calmly and effectively. When his wife Annemarie van Kesteren became seriously ill, he decided to retire to be there and was unwavering in his decision. When non-professional club Noordwijk asked him to become a "keeper for one match", he returned to help. Now he is the executive director of Ajax, who is slowly saying goodbye to his passion to conquer new heights.

He is a devoted family man for whom football is not the only love of his life. He can still intimidate his opponents by calmly shaking their hands before a match while sending a "don't mess with me" message. But off the field he is actually a good-natured person. He is an icon, a one-of-a-kind goalkeeper who has left his mark on football history. Fans may splurge on Manuel Neuer, but Van der Sar was a truly exceptional goalkeeper. There's no need to be rock 'n' roll if you're already irreplaceable. This is Edwin Van der Sar: a humble man, a great player and a true legend.

Dutchman Edwin van der Sar is one of the most titled goalkeepers of the 21st century. The athlete has eight championships at the club level and two bronze medals at the European Championships with the national team. Van der Sar is the only goalkeeper to win the Champions League twice: with Ajax in 1995 and with Manchester United in the Moscow final of 2008. I talked to the goalkeeper about the World Cup in Russia, Euro 2008 and the best goalkeepers on the planet.

“Leaving for a European club could be a new challenge for Akinfeev”

Lenta.ru: 10 years ago you were already in Moscow. How do you like the city today?

Edwin van der Sar: Moscow will forever remain in my memory, because here I won one of the main titles in my career - the Champions League. I like the city, especially now when so many fans from all over the world have come to Moscow. Russia has definitely revealed itself in a very pleasant way.

Have your impressions of Moscow changed over these 10 years?

I didn't see much when I was a player. Our route passed between the hotel and the stadium, and in our free time we just wanted to relax. Of course, now the image of your country has changed due to politics. But the 2018 World Cup improved the attitude of foreigners towards Russia.

The tournament turned out to be intense for the fans and broke the record for the number of penalties awarded. There have already been 21 penalty kicks. (The previous record was 18, dated to the 1990/1998/2002 World Cup). How does a goalkeeper prepare for a penalty?

Nowadays, different sources of training are open to goalkeepers: you can find out which corner a particular football player hits most often. If he threw 17 times to the right and only three times to the left, you will be ready to hit. However, new difficulties arose: the forwards began to shoot directly into the center. Therefore, the goalkeeper needs to train more carefully.

Does Telstar's new World Cup dream ball help goalkeepers save shots?

Yes. Adidas has put a lot of effort into making the ball goal-friendly. But football is designed to score goals. If it becomes very easy for the goalkeeper to cope with shots, then the fans will not be happy.

Photo: Alexey Filippov / RIA Novosti

It is technically possible to prepare for a penalty, but how to prepare yourself emotionally? Is it important for a team to have a leader who will motivate the rest?

Still would! Emotional recharging is important for any team. The person who will say: it will be difficult, but we can handle it. Most often this role is assigned to the captain. In the case of the Russian national team - . He is an experienced goalkeeper who has been playing for Russia for a long time and knows what’s what.

Does Akinfeev have the opportunity to move to a top club? Or is it lost on him?

Akinfeev should have left Russia much earlier. Although I moved from Fulham to "" only at 34 years old. Therefore, a move to a European club could be a new challenge for Akinfeev and an opportunity to play against great players. I advise him to leave CSKA and try to gain a foothold in Europe.

I wouldn't say that. He made a first-class save in the final group stage match against South Korea. And this despite missing the season due to injury. Before the injury, Neuer was the leader of both the German national team and Bayern Munich. I hope it will soon return to its previous level.

“I didn’t expect such a result from the Russian team”

Germany failed to qualify from the group; most of the favorites also went home, failing to live up to expectations. Who was your favorite?

Before the semi-final I thought England were the most likely team to win. Although in the first match of the 1/2 finals I rooted for Belgium with all my heart. They are our neighbors, we speak the same language and many Belgian footballers play on our teams.

How surprising was the Croatian performance for you?

I thought it would be difficult for them. They spent a lot of effort on two penalty shootouts, and the match against the Russian team was especially difficult. But the emotional charge helped them. The small country, home to about four million people, beat huge Russia and surpassed the British.

Russian football players are unknown abroad because the RFPL is practically not broadcast on television. That's why I watch your athletes only during international competitions. When I watched the friendly matches, I did not at all expect such a result from the Russian team. Apparently, the home World Cup gave the players an additional impetus to play well.

The Dutch team failed to qualify for this World Cup. What was the team missing?

Do you really think that our team has problems? Yes, we didn't make it to the World Cup. But we had a difficult group in the qualifying round: France, Sweden, which left the Italians without the World Cup. We have a lot of good young players who will be full of strength for Euro 2020, and we will break into the elite again.

What was missing from this World Cup?

Dutch fans. You go out to Red Square and meet fans from Colombia, Spain, Brazil, but there are no guys in orange uniforms. I hope that at the next international tournament I will still see my native colors.

“2008 became the year of Russian football”

For the Russian national team, the victory over Holland at Euro 2008 became one of the most significant in the country's football history. What do you think about when you remember that match?

It seems to me that that victory happened largely thanks to the coach, who worked in Holland for a long time and knew our players well. Maybe Russia was in slightly better shape. It was a shame to lose to Russia then, because for me that match was the last as part of the Dutch national team.

Were you surprised by the result of that meeting?

It didn't come as a surprise to me. If a team makes it to the European Championship, it means they know how to play football. Moreover, we had heard a lot about football players from Moscow clubs and St. Petersburg, which by that time had already won the Cup. Probably, 2008 became the year of Russian football.

Before the match, did you know at least any of the Russian football players?

Not really. Your football league gets virtually no coverage in Europe. And if we watch Russian clubs in the Champions League, we see a huge number of foreigners. The star of the team is more likely to be a Brazilian than a Russian.

Do you think it is possible to see the teams of Russia and Holland in the finals of the European Championship 2020?

Anything can happen in football. But if this happens, then Holland will definitely win.

Do you remember those football players who made history? Which ones did we admire? Along with the end of the careers of the greats, it was as if an entire era was passing away. Where are they now?

Probably everyone remembers the 2008 European Championship and that match when our players defeated the Dutch. But now it’s not about our team. Most of all then went to the goalkeeper, who, indeed, went down in history as one of the best.

He has 14 trophies with Ajax, an Intertoto Cup with Juventus and a second with Fulham, 11 titles with Manchester United, fourth place at the 1998 World Cup and bronze at the 2000 and 2004 European Championships. And these are just team achievements. “Golden Glove”, a special PFA award for services to football, seven-time winner of the best goalkeeper status and, finally, the oldest player in the Champions League final in history. Edwin van der Sar is a truly great footballer.

The Dutchman was born on October 29, 1970, and ended his career at the age of 41. But now a little biography, it is indeed very rich and exciting. Since childhood, Edwin was significantly taller than his peers, so it somehow happened naturally that he stood in goal. As he himself says, the coach of the team for which he played as a child told him: “You know, you’re the tallest, stand in the goal.” And then Edwin decided that he would never play football again. But everything turned out differently. The then coach of Noordwijk, for whom Edwin played, was on good terms with Louis van Gaal, who advised him to pay attention to the young goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar. That's how he ended up at Ajax. But despite this, he had to be in reserve for two whole years. But already in 1992 his finest hour came. Van der Sar defends the Ajax goal from the first minutes. And he does this incomparably, which allowed him to subsequently stand in them for about 7 years. At the same club, he was even given the nickname “Edwin van der Save” for his excellent reaction, jumping ability and other qualities that only the best goalkeeper could absorb.

A little later, fate decreed that Edwin began to defend the colors of Juventus. As he himself later admitted, he made a mistake here, because at that time Alex Ferguson himself called him to his place. But the Juve goalkeeper’s performance did not work out there, and they gave him to Fulham. And two years later an important stage came in his life. Manchester United finally achieved their goal and bought Edwin. It was from this moment that the peak of his career began. Van der Sar, whose biography is truly impressive, was named the team's best goalkeeper. This is what Sir Alex Ferguson, the head coach, said himself. Already here he felt at ease and met the hopes of everyone who believed in him.

Playing for the national team began back in 1994, although at that time he was still a reserve goalkeeper. But this did not scare Van der Sar, he knew that this was just the beginning, as it was at Ajax. Here he waited not two years, but one. And from the first moment of the game at the start, he firmly took his place in the goal of the Dutch national team.

He ended his career at 41 years old. Just imagine! By rising to stardom at such a late age, he changed the traditional understanding of a goalkeeper's career. The ideal football player is an elderly, experienced head on young legs. He probably could have continued his career further, but it was affected by family problems.

What is the ex-football player doing now?

He did not stop there, and after the end of his football career, “Van der Sar’s boring retirement” began.

The Dutchman has his own website called “Edwinvandersarfoundation.com”, on which he talks about the implementation of his projects aimed at supporting people with traumatic brain injuries in the areas of rehabilitation, participation and prevention. It all started when his wife suffered from a similar disease in 2011. In 2017, the foundation turns 5 years old; in honor of this, Edwin made a special anniversary tour of Holland. Van der Sar also loves animals and regularly donates amounts to various funds for their protection.

In 2016, the football player even had to resume his playing career. True, only for one match. His first club, Noordwijk, was left without goalkeepers at that time, and Edwin had to take the field. The match ended with the score 1:1. But even without any match practice, he managed to save a penalty!

In November of the same year, the former goalkeeper of the Dutch national team and Manchester United officially became the director of Ajax FC, where he spent 9 years as a player, and since 2012 he has been director of marketing. But the football field does not want to let go of its hero. Edwin sometimes puts on his gloves again and takes his now familiar position, sharing his experience with young football players. It's not every day you get the chance to train with a great athlete. So the young generation of Holland is in the capable hands of a great player.

It doesn't often happen that the subject of an interview FFT becomes the general director of the football club. But it’s even rarer that the CEO is also an eight-time winner of gold medals in the championships of two countries and has two Champions League cups in his treasury.

“The way I try to make my club more successful in terms of generating income and winning titles is similar to my captaincy when I played,” says Edwin van der Sar, Ajax CEO, trying to find similarities between dominance in the penalty area and in the boardroom. The Dutchman believes that, despite the lack of extensive business experience and an impressive amount of knowledge in this area, almost 20 years spent in football give him the necessary vision of how to run a club. In particular, the club where, from 1990 to 1999, he showed excellent play, became the champion of the Netherlands four times, won three Dutch Cups, a UEFA Cup and a Champions League Cup, defeating Milan in 1995.

All of the above should serve as a significant help to Edwin when he answers your questions about his magnificent career.

– Have you always dreamed of becoming a goalkeeper? Remember the day you first stepped through the gate?

Chris Ambler, Portsmouth

– For the first year and a half I was a field player. But one day our goalkeeper didn’t come to the game, and the coach told me: “Edwin, you’re the tallest one, so you’ll be at the goal.” And things went so well that I ended up staying there.

For many years I played for a small amateur team, Noordwijk, and did not even expect that my dream of becoming a professional football player would ever come true. When I was about 19 years old, I received an offer from Sparta (Rotterdam) to be their third goalkeeper. However, they were only willing to pay for my relocation. That's why I decided to stay at Noordwijk. And then a few days later they called me from Ajax and asked me to come and sign a contract with them, which I did.

– What do you think about the growing popularity of this type of goalkeeper, the last defender goalkeeper? You've always played well with your feet, weren't you the one who contributed to such popularity?

Nav Singh, Facebook

– Back in the 90s at Ajax we developed a system in which I was involved in building a positional attack, and this can be useful if you want to stick to a certain style of play. But sometimes I think people make too much of it. The goalkeeper is on the field primarily to prevent the ball from entering the goal.

– When Louis van Gaal worked in England, from time to time he seemed a little eccentric. Was he the same at Ajax?

Laura Matthews, Facebook

“He hasn’t really changed much in terms of how he talks to the press and how he behaves in everyday life (say, at a dinner party). I once attended one of Manchester United's training sessions when he was coaching the team and again I saw the same driven man who constantly focuses on the progress of his players. The way he interacted with the players, the key elements of training and his general rules were all very familiar to me, even though many years had passed.

– Do you think any other Dutch team will be able to lift the Champions League Cup? Unfortunately, this is unlikely now.

Andy Green, Merseyside

– [puffs out cheeks] This will be very, very difficult to do. Even in my time, about 20 years ago, this was truly a huge achievement, but then there was only one team per country in the tournament, and there were only about 16 teams in the final stages of the competition.

With the adoption of the new model, one might say that, to some extent, all the romance has gone away. And although some new rules are being adopted, it seems to me that big clubs will always dominate the tournament, since with their huge budget they will still bypass other clubs.

- That Ajax squad was full of players that any European club wanted to get. Who did Juventus have to compete with for what in order to finally get your signature on the contract?

Paul Kelly, Facebook

– When I left Ajax in 1999, I went to Liverpool and spoke with Gerard Houllier there. I was shown around Anfield and met the chairman of the club and some of the players. I thought about this for a long time, but when Juventus representatives approached me, I decided that playing in Italy would be a much bigger challenge for me. But just as I was about to move to Juventus, an offer came from Manchester United! At that time I spoke to Alex Ferguson's brother, although I had almost signed a contract with Juve. I liked the idea of ​​going to a country with a completely different culture and style of play, but moving to a Serie A club was a leap into the unknown for me.

I later found out that Ferguson was indeed interested in signing me, but the chairman wanted to sign Mark Bosnich as a free agent instead. Therefore, I was always expected to play the role of Peter Schmeichel’s successor, but in the end, six months passed more than planned, and during that period other goalkeepers were auditioned for this role. While I was at Fulham, I also heard about interest from Arsenal, which never materialized into anything concrete, which I regretted at the time. And so I was especially happy when United and I beat Arsenal several times in my career [laughs].

– When you played at Juventus with Zinedine Zidane, what was the most striking thing about his game? And what was the Frenchman like as a person?

Will Clay, Yorkshire

“He was a completely normal guy.” In Italy there are all these pretentious guys with beautiful cars and expensive clothes, but Zidane has always been very laid-back. He could often be seen wearing jeans and a white T-shirt. He didn't have his head in the clouds and at the same time showed an incredibly high-quality game. When you made a pass to him and the ball was going a little clumsily, he took control of it so clearly that the ball gave in immediately. He knew exactly what was going on around him and could make a pass to any area. Sometimes it seemed that he moved much faster with the ball than without it.

– What did you say to Ariel Ortega right before the Argentine “butted” you and received a red card at the 1998 World Cup?

Darren Walsh, Facebook

– Ortega wanted to earn a penalty for his team, allegedly tripping over Jaap Stam’s leg. And as he rose from the lawn, I bent over him and “expressed doubt as to his origin.” He got angry and stood up too abruptly!

– Did you have nightmares when you remembered Francesco Totti’s “panenka” at Euro 2000? Do you think you could save this penalty? And how hard was it to lose in the semi-finals like that?

Gustav Henriksen, Maastricht

“The panenka penalty was not the hardest part of everything we faced. A goal is a goal, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s scored with a “panenka” or something else. No, if I had nightmares about that match, they would most likely be related to all those penalties that we missed. We missed two penalties in regular time, and then three more in the penalty shootout. Francesco Toldo saved three shots - two of them from Frank de Boer - but Patrick Kluivert still hit the Italian goal once. And that ball from Jaap Stam is probably still somewhere on the top tier behind the goal! We managed to miss five shots out of six, which is clearly too much if you want to get to the final...

– How did you feel when Gigi Buffon took your place at Juve? Looking back at that time, did they make the right choice? Or do you think that they should have left you?

Jimmy Wainwright, Cardiff

– All this happened under not the most pleasant circumstances, although, I must admit, at Juventus I did not reach the level that I showed in Holland. That summer I even asked for a meeting to hear their ideas for the upcoming season. I was told that they were going to buy a couple of new players, but they assured me that I didn't need to worry at all. Then, I think a week later they signed Buffon for about £30 million. Of course, that deal had already been in the negotiation stage for some time, but they decided not to tell me anything about it when I came to that meeting. So yes, this all took me by surprise and I had to go back to looking at all of my career options.

– Why did you decide to move from Juventus to Fulham? We weren't actually the biggest club at the time!

Raf M, Twitter

– At that time, there was a big hype around goalkeepers in Italy: Buffon came to Juve, Francesco Toldo moved to Inter Milan, and Sebastian Frey to Parma. In the top clubs then, one might say, there was a “hustle and bustle” between the keepers. But then, let’s say, I stayed on the sidelines. Then I talked with representatives of Ajax, Liverpool and Dortmund. The latter two clubs wanted to wait until the end of the summer transfer window. But I didn’t want to be in limbo for so long. Fulham had big ambitions: they became champions of the first division and entered the Premier League, and began to buy many new players. And I wanted to get gaming practice. I consulted Louis van Gaal, who was coaching the Dutch national team at the time, and he immediately approved of my choice. You could say that I viewed this transition as a small step back in order to try to take a few steps forward in the future.

– What was Mohammed al-Fayed [Fulham owner until 2013] like as a person during your time at the club? Has he done any particularly strange things?

Matt Bagnall, Twitter

- Of course, he did a lot of unusual things, he was an eccentric! Before the match, he would appear on the sideline, then go straight out onto the field and wave his scarf. It usually happened that he would come up to me to say hello while I was warming up. He often communicated with the players. On match days, he came into our locker room and sometimes even flew to training in his helicopter. And several times, when we had a series of successful matches, there were times when he gave each player a huge bag of food from his Harrods supermarkets.

– Were you surprised by the dismissal of Jean Tigan from the post of head coach of Fulham in 2003? It seemed too harsh a decision given that he had led the team to the Premier League in 2001 and kept them in the top flight the following year.

Trevor Bailey, Facebook

“It was very sad, especially for me, since he was the coach who brought me to the club. Jean was well versed in football, you could immediately tell that he played at a very high level. Sometimes he trained with us, and then his skill was immediately visible.

– Have you ever regretted that then, in 2001, you did not move from Juventus straight to Manchester United? That you had to spend four more seasons at Fulham before moving to Manchester?

Darren Chin, Brunei

“I really liked it in London, but I didn’t plan on playing for Fulham for four seasons. I thought I would spend a year or two there and then move on. Towards the end of my career at Fulham, I even extended my contract for a short period so that the club would receive money for me if I transferred. They told me they wouldn't let me play unless I agreed to renew my contract!

I found out that United wanted to sign me when I found a voicemail on my phone from Alex Ferguson. It was a special day. At that moment I thought: “This is why I came to London - to finally take the next step forward.” Ferguson told me he wanted a player who could lead the defense and direct the players. He said he knew that if the team was under pressure, I wouldn't let my anxiety get the better of me.

– What did you pay special attention to when you studied how opposing players take penalties? And what was going on in your head when Nicolas Anelka approached the penalty spot in the 2008 Champions League final?

PenaltyKickStat, Twitter

– I remember how before that match I studied a huge number of penalty kicks by Chelsea players on DVD. For example, I analyzed about 40 penalties that Frank Lampard took earlier in his career. I made a lot of notes and noted for myself that Nicolas Anelka almost always kicked his penalty into the right corner of the goalkeeper. I later heard that Chelsea also studied my game and found that I usually rush to the right. Therefore, I think the players were warned that they needed to hit the corner to my left, which many of them did. I assumed that Anelka would still choose the other side to strike, and, fortunately, that’s exactly what happened.

When I saved his penalty, it seemed to me that for a few seconds I was simply somewhere in another world. I don't think there will ever be a more emotional moment in my life than when I realized we had just won the Champions League final and saw my whole team running towards me. This was the highlight of my entire career.

– Do you often remember how John Terry slipped (and laugh a little about it)?

Peter Johnston, Facebook

– No, I don’t laugh at this, because I understand that I was miraculously lucky. At that moment, fortune really smiled on us. I have to admit, the field was terrible - I slipped a few times myself.

– You are given credit for putting an end to the long feud between Ruud van Nistelrooy and Marco van Basten so that van Nistelrooy could qualify for Euro 2008. What did you tell them to smooth out the conflict?

Theis van Damme, Facebook

“I wouldn’t say that I was the one who was able to reconcile them.” I simply expressed my opinion, as the captain of the team, about what will benefit our squad. I pointed out how valuable Van Nistelrooy could be for us and said that he could be an important player for us in this tournament. It seems to me that they are both very stubborn, seriously. I can generally interact with different people, so I simply expressed my thoughts to everyone. But it wasn't that I called a meeting or something and demanded that they forget all their differences.

Did you ever get bored during that period in the 2008/09 season when you kept 14 clean sheets in a row, with Gary Neville, Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra providing an impenetrable barrier in front of you?

Griffin Pyle, Twitter

- No, of course not! [laughs] But at the time I said that this series would mean absolutely nothing if we weren't champions at the end of the season. Everything was done to achieve this goal. The media and people around me were a little more interested in this series of “dry” matches than I was.

– How annoyed were you that your long streak of clean sheets was interrupted by an error in the match against Newcastle when Peter Lovenkrands scored from a rebound? I have no doubt that you would have preferred the streak to be broken by some magnificent blow.

Lewis Migor, Facebook

- Yes, I would prefer that this series be interrupted by some kind of “gun” right at the “nine”. Of course, I could have held this record longer. But on the other hand, another moment comes to mind when a West Brom player hit the crossbar 10 minutes before I was about to break the record. Therefore everything is fair.

“It is often said that when Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo were younger, they played at about the same level, but later they reached different heights because Ronaldo devoted himself more to improving as a footballer. Do you think such conversations are fair?

Sam Hirst, Leicester

“They both worked very hard on the field, but Cristiano was a level higher. Outside of the football field, Ronaldo paid attention to many other things, such as how to properly rest and strengthen his body.

He often stayed after training to practice free throws, and then came up to me and said: “Edwin, could you stand in goal?” I used to say that I was already old and that it would be better for him to practice with one of the young goalkeepers, but he insisted that I should be in goal because he wanted to score against me. I often teased him and said something like: “You can’t score on me, Ronnie, and you know it. Better ask for a backup keeper, it will be better for your self-confidence.” He began to worry and answered: “No, no. It should be you at the gate!” But Cristiano really is a very nice guy, and the overall impression of him is not really a reflection of his personality.

– Is the United you played for, whose players won three Premier League titles in a row and also reached three Champions League finals in four years, an underrated team? United is not talked about as one of the best teams in history, but only a few clubs have managed to win so many trophies...

Brian Woodford, Facebook

“Well, if we really wanted to be the best team, then we should have won two of the three Champions League finals we played in at the time. For example, if we had won in 2009, we would have become the best team in Europe for the last two seasons and the first team to ever win two Champions League titles in a row. Therefore, if we had defeated Barcelona in the final in Rome, we would have been considered a great team. But, of course, if you look at the players we had on our roster at that time, we were definitely a very good team.

– What did you think about the pressure that David de Gea was subjected to at the beginning of his United career? Is the English media too harsh on foreign goalkeepers?

Aaron Cassidy, Coventry

– No, at that time I did not consider the criticism too harsh. He didn't play very well and made mistakes, which is probably to be expected when you come to a big club like United at such a young age. This is a new country for you, where people speak a different language and where the style of play is completely different. But since then he has done a lot of work and is able to completely change his attitude towards himself. Now he has become a really good goalkeeper.

– What happened to the Dutch team, Edwin? Last year's Euro without Orange fans wasn't the same...

Ryan Byrne, Liverpool

– I think from time to time teams have failures in qualifying. Remember the same year 2002, when we did not make it to the World Cup. Today I believe that we lack top players aged 25-26-27 who can lead the team. When you lose to Iceland twice, you don't deserve to go to the Euros.

- During your time at United, you had to leave the field twice, and in such cases a field player remained in goal. In the match against Portsmouth this player was Rio Ferdinand, and in the game against Tottenham it was John O'Shea. What did you advise them then?

Hannah Stewart, Twitter

– In those situations, I actually had no time for advice at all. I picked up a groin injury against Portsmouth and Tomasz Kuszczak, who replaced me, later received a red card, so by the time Ferdinand got in the goal I was already sitting high up in the stands. And in the match against Spurs, I broke my nose after a collision with Robbie Keane and went into the stands to get help. A few minutes later I heard a deafening roar: it turned out that John O’Shea had made a very good save!

– How well can you hear the fans behind the goal during the match?Can you remember the strangest cry from a fan?

Michael Baker, London

– West Ham fans are not the nicest guys. Let's just say that their vocabulary was quite... limited. But what words were thrown at you in the opponent's stadium usually depended on whether you won or lost the match. Once your team gets ahead, you don't have to rush to take a goal kick, and that made the fans really angry. And when your team loses and you need to quickly get the ball that has flown out of the goal, only ridicule comes from the stands. But overall the atmosphere created by the English fans was great and when I lived in England I felt at home.

– I heard that in 2012 you took part in the New York Marathon. Why did you decide to do this and how long did you run?

Nathaniel Bullock, Leeds

– A few years ago, my friend told me that he was going to take part in this marathon. I really liked this idea, and I told him: “Maybe you can wait a little longer? I will retire and we will run together.” But then the wait took a little longer because I renewed my contract with United several times [laughs]. As a result, training for the marathon took me about two and a half months. This turned out to be a big strain on my body, and it took me a lot of time to recover. But in the end I ran 4 hours 19 minutes.

Edwin Van der Sar is one of the key links in Ajax's second golden generation. As part of the capital team in the 90s, this goalkeeper won five championships and three national Cups. Louis van Gaal's men were also indomitable on the European stage - in 1992 they won the UEFA Cup, and three seasons later they won the Champions League. Then, in the final in Vienna, Ajax defeated Milan with a score of 1:0. Later Edwin won the European Super Cup.

In 1999, after Angelo Peruzzi left Turin for Inter Milan, Van der Sar became the first foreigner to play for Juventus, and for two seasons he was the main goalkeeper of the Old Lady. In 2001, Juve acquired Gianluigi Buffon from Parma, and Edwin's chances of appearing in the first team became limited.

The Dutchman was acquired by English Fulham for 11.5 million euros, with whom he signed a four-year contract. During his time with the Summer Residents, he played 154 matches.

Van der Sar has incredible reflexes for a man of his size and height (197 cm). Plays in a modern style, often coming out of goal and essentially serving as the last defender.

Edwin is the main goalkeeper of the Dutch national team. In the summer of 2004, it was largely Van der Sar’s excellent play at the European Championship that helped the Orange reach the semi-finals of the tournament.

On 1 July 2005, Edwin van der Sar joined United on a two-year deal.

The Dutchman was United's first signing since Malcolm Glazer bought the club and joined during the team's tour of the Far East in July. He was the latest in a long line of goalkeepers Fergie tried in the No. 1 job following the departure of Peter Schmeichel in 1999. Mark Bosnich, Massimo Taibi, Raymond van der Gouw, Fabien Barthez, Ricardo and Roy Carroll failed to become Big Dan's heirs and left the club.

The 197cm tall goalkeeper had proven his skill at all levels and, with his vast playing experience, it was believed that he would stabilize the club's game in the final stretch, after inconsistent performances in goal for Tim Howard's team. At the start of the 2005-06 season, Sir Alex Ferguson made Edwin the number one and commentators soon stopped talking about the "goalkeeping problem" at Old Trafford.

Van der Sar became a model of stability, and it is difficult to remember serious mistakes in his game in this first season for him in a new team, on the contrary, he had a great season, helping the team out at crucial moments. He achieved the rare feat of starting all of United's 38 league games, becoming only the fourth player to do so since Gary Pallister, who also started all of United's league games in 1994. -95.

Given his age, he is certainly not a long-term player for the team, and it was assumed that Tim Howard would take on the role of backup and gain experience to replace him when the time came to take over the No. 1 job. However, the recent transfer of Tim Howard Everton retain him as backup to Tomas Kuszczak and Ben Foster. Van der Sar is still the main goalkeeper of the Dutch national team, played at the World Cup in Germany and will play for his national team at least until Euro 2008.

In the 2006-07 season, Edwin played in 32 Premier League matches, 12 Champions League games and 3 FA Cup games. He missed several matches in the national championship after breaking his nose in the away match with Tottenham in a collision with Robbie Keane, otherwise he would have spent almost the entire championship in the United goal.

The Dutchman's excellent form became one of the decisive factors on Manchester United's path to the championship title. Suffice it to remember how he prevented Peter Crouch from scoring in the last minute of the game at Anfield, which ultimately ended in a 1-0 victory for Manchester United, and saved Mark Viduka's shot in a home game with Boro, saving his team a draw. 1-1. In May 2007, he saved Darius Vassell's penalty in the derby against City, which allowed the Mancunians to win by a minimal score of 1-0.

The next day, after Chelsea's draw with Bolton, it became clear that these three points brought the Red Devils the championship title. And although Van der Sar became the Dutch champion four times as part of Ajax, this is his first success in one of the leading European championships - English.

In the 2007-2008 season, Edwin secured his place in Manchester United history by saving Nicolas Anelka in the penalty shoot-out in the Champions League final at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium. It’s interesting that Van der Sar’s season began in August, also with a penalty shootout, also in a game against Chelsea, when he saved three shots in a row and helped his partners win the FA Super Cup.

At 37 years old, Edwin still remains a model of stability and managed to keep a clean sheet in 23 matches of the season, while in the English Championship United set a club record, conceding only 22 goals during the championship. In European matches, he conceded only 3 goals, and rightfully won the second gold medal in the Champions League in his outstanding goalkeeping career.

The 2008-09 season once again proved that the acquisition of van der Sar was one of Ferguson's most successful moves in the transfer market. The evergreen Dutchman managed not only to successfully spend the next football year of his career, adding to his impressive collection of top-quality medals, but also to break several goalkeeper records.

The Dutch goalkeeper did not miss 14 matches in a row in the Premier League from November 8, 2008 to March 4, 2009, which amounted to 1311 minutes, and became not only a Premier League record, but also surpassed several other English records for goalkeepers, and raised Edwin to 6 1st place in the world rating of “impenetrability” of goalkeepers.

21 times during the English championship, Edwin kept a clean sheet and rightfully became the winner of the Premier League Golden Gloves prize, which is awarded to a goalkeeper precisely for this achievement and was included in the English championship team at the end of the year.

After breaking a finger and injuring his wrist in a pre-season match against Bayern, van der Sar missed the start of the 2009-10 season and did not make his first appearance until October 17 in a match with Bolton, which ended in a 2-1 victory for the hosts. But it was only one of his five starts until mid-January, as an injured knee and his wife's illness again prevented him from helping his teammates.

Finally returning to the number one job on 16 January in a match against Burnley, which United win 3-0, Edwin becomes Manchester United's oldest player in the post-war era, appearing at 39 years and 79 days, and proves that he is more important than ever for the team. His calmness, composure, experience and amazing reactions are a huge plus for the Red Devils. The back five once again looks impregnable, and the central figure in this fortress is, of course, van der Sar. Having played 29 matches for United this season, the Dutchman kept a clean sheet in 14 of them, becoming the best among Premier League goalkeepers in terms of percentage of shots saved on his own goal (81%).

Despite rumors throughout the season that Edwin was close to finishing his illustrious career, he signed a new one-year contract with the team, and for at least one more season, the Dutchman's fans and teammates need not worry about the final milestone.