Ranking the top 10 world-class foreigners to play for Manchester United

#8 Edwin Van der Sar

Edwin Van der Sar was one of the best keepers to play for Manchester United

Honours at the club: 4 x Premier League, 1 x EFL Cup, 3 x Community Shield, 1 x UEFA Champions League, 1 x FIFA Club World Cup

Initially, Sir Alex had shown an interest in signing Edwin van Der Sar during his days with Ajax in 1999, while searching for a replacement for the ageing Peter Schmeichel.

However, the Dutchman opted for a move to Juventus and the Red Devils would have to wait until 2005 to get their man.

Signed for £4.75 million at the ripe old age of 35, Van der Sar is perhaps the best example that supports the dictum 'age is just a number'.

At a point of time that is usually considered to be the advanced stage of the twilight of a footballer's career, he oozed class of the highest measure while guarding the posts at Old Trafford.

Edwin Van der Sar was known for his intelligence and excellent positional sense as a goalkeeper. Blessed with a lanky stature coupled with great reflexes, the Dutchman was a brilliant all-round shot-stopper.

He was also renowned for his brilliant distribution of the ball with either foot which gave him the ability to launch counter-attacks.

Van der Sar won numerous major titles at Old Trafford before retiring in 2011. He made 266 appearances for the club and is one of the most important figures in the club's illustrious past.