#10 Edwin van der Sar – Ajax, Fulham and Manchester United
Trending
The fact that Edwin van der Sar appears towards the ends of this list despite being almost as successful (maybe even more than some) shows how underrated he was as a player. One of the most trusted goalkeepers of his generation, van der Sar was known for his composure, stability, consistency and the ability to rise on the biggest occasions. A staggering fact to verify his legendary status is that the Dutchman won 25 trophies during his nearly three-decade career.
Trophy success came to van der Sar right at the beginning of his career at Ajax, where he was a part of the club’s golden generation including Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf, Frank de Boer, Danny Blind, Patrick Kluivert and Marc Overmars among others. With van der Sar in goal, Ajax won four Eridivisie titles, three KNVB Cups, a UEFA Cup and a UEFA Champions League. He played over 300 games for the Dutch team before moving to Juventus in 1999.
For a goalkeeper of his pedigree, van der Sar’s time at Juventus was rather lacklustre and he was gradually replaced by an obviously talented Gianluigi Buffon. The Dutchman shocked everyone by moving to newly promoted Premier League side Fulham in 2001 and stayed with them for four seasons, putting in stunning performances quite regularly. Though there was nothing to show in terms of trophies, van der Sar’s abilities were noted by several managers including Sir Alex Ferguson, who signed the Dutchman in 2005.
His spell at Manchester United proved to be hugely successful and van der Sar was an instant hit at Old Trafford. Van der Sar, standing behind the defensive partnership of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, helped Manchester United win four Premier League titles, two League Cups and that famous UEFA Champions League trophy in 2007-08, when they defeated Chelsea in the final on penalties.The Dutchman proved to be more than his money’s worth at Manchester United and left Old Trafford a legend in 2011 after making more than 266 appearances for them.
