Appreciating The Underappreciated Edwin van der Sar

It’s hard not to look back at the golden era of the 1990s and 2000s, which treated football fans from all over the world to some of the finest goalkeepers ever. From Gianluigi Buffon and Oliver Kahn, to Iker Casillas and Edwin van der Sar, there were some spectacular keepers to witness; however, it was the Dutchman who is one of the more underappreciated gems of the goalkeeping world.

Van der Sar had a brilliant career that lasted between 1990 and 2011. He is one of a very small group of players who have won the UEFA Champions League with more than one squad. He did so with Ajax and Manchester United. Not only that, because he is also one of the players with the most matches played for the Netherlands national squad. If you’re a fan of the Oranje, you can try betting online with 1xBet for their upcoming matches.

An excellent club career with an unexpected twist

Van der Sar started his career on Ajax. However, he needed to wait a few years before becoming the starting goalkeeper of the team. It is possible to watch the Ajax online with the bet live stream on 1xbet.com/en/live/, where you can also check out and participate in the exciting Dutch football competition.

In 1994, van der Sar secured the number 1 spot at Ajax, he helped his team to win the 1994-95 UEFA Champions League. Not only that, because of his service with the Dutch team, he also reached the final of the next edition of the competition.

In 1999, the goalkeeper was in search of new horizons, and for this reason, he decided to join Italian giants Juventus. During this transition, there was a real chance of the Dutchman joining Manchester United, as Sir Alex Ferguson wanted a suitable replacement for Peter Schmeichel.

The keeper spent only two seasons in the Vecchia Signora before he decided to leave the team after the squad signed none other than Gianluigi Buffon. In a move that shocked everybody, while being linked with many top teams in Europe, van der Sar decided to move to Fulham. At that time, the team had just been promoted to the English Premier League.

A successful career in England

Edwin van der Sar had a great career in Fulham that lasted four seasons. This convinced Sir Alex Ferguson that it was the right time to finally add van der Sar to the Manchester United team. It should be noted that back then, United really struggled to find a reliable replacement for Peter Schmeichel.

The keeper spent six seasons on the Red Devils. He helped the team to win the second UEFA Champions League in its history. He also kept many unbeaten records and will go down as one of the best to stand between the two posts.