Edwin van der Sar wants to be Manchester United’s No.1 keeper
until he lifts the Champions League again.
The Dutchman is finding it impossible to decide on a retirement
date even though he is just a month from his 39th birthday.
Van der Sar has targeted the Premier League clash with Bolton on
October 17 for his return from the finger injury that has sidelined
him since pre-season, and that could be bad news for England
hopeful Ben Foster.
And Van der Sar told Sunday Mirror Sport his hunger for more
United success means he is likely to sign a contract extension that
will take him to 2011 and into his 40s.
Van der Sar, close to agreeing to a World Cup comeback for
Holland, said: “I don’t want to pack it in. At the end of my
holiday this summer, I was itching to go back to the training
ground.
“I have the hunger to win the Champions League again. It does
not matter that I won it in the past.
“The season could not start soon enough for me and it was
unfortunate I got injured. After our pre-season tour in Korea, I
said something about my future and the next day it was all over the
back pages that I wanted to ruin Foster’s World Cup dream.
“That was nonsense. Foster got more playing time than ever last
season because I was taking rests.
“I think Foster has done well as my replacement. But I still
work as hard as all the others at training, whether I’m old enough
to be their dad or not.”
After winning the European Cup with Ajax and United, the agony
of last season’s final defeat to Barcelona has sharpened his desire
to win the trophy again.
And he believes that while Real Madrid have Cristiano Ronaldo,
it is the presence of Sir Alex Ferguson that gives United the
edge.
Van der Sar said: “I am not concerned by what Real Madrid have
done. It is all about the team spirit. Eleven Cristiano Ronaldos
wouldn’t lead to success.
“I know some people think differently. But when you play with 11
Ronaldos, not many of them would care about defensive duties.
“Three English clubs were among the last four in the Champions
League last season. Everyone knows the Premier League is the best
in the world.
“But because we lost to Barca and Real buy some big names,
suddenly we have to be in awe of Spanish football.
“Of course, Ronaldo was a big player for us. And we have to
change our team a bit now. But we will do that. United is a lot
bigger than Ronaldo.”
He added: “Alex Ferguson is the man who guarantees continuity at
this club. He has built an empire and a group of loyal and
trustworthy people around him and the team.
“He does not need to be at the training ground every day. He
does not even have to try and influence me to sign again.
“As a player you know what you have got at United because of all
the staff around Fergie. They are all great people. The trick is
that as a player here, you know you are employed by a multi-million
pound football company, but inside it feels as if you are
surrounded by family.”