Widely regarded as one of the greatest Premier League goalkeepers of all time, Edwin van der Sar played under a host of iconic managers during his trophy-laden 26-year career.
From Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United to Carlo Ancelotti at Juventus, the former Netherlands goalkeeper earned the trust of some of world football’s finest for his consistency and composure between the posts.
When asked to name the best manager he played under, Van der Sar had plenty of strong options but snubbed both Ferguson and Ancelotti, much to the surprise of his former teammate Gary Neville, who was left speechless by the Dutchman’s choice.
Van der Sar Praises Louis van Gaal
Louis van Gaal
Louis van Gaal
Speaking to Neville on The Overlap, Van der Sar was asked to name the best manager he played under and chose his former Ajax boss Louis van Gaal.
Neville was left stunned by the selection and suggested Ferguson instead, but Van der Sar simply stuck to his pick.
Van der Sar played under Van Gaal for eight seasons at Ajax and was part of the squad that lifted the Champions League title in 1994-95.
The former Dutch keeper made a total of 224 appearances under Van Gaal and lifted three Eredivisie titles, as well as the UEFA Cup in 1991-92.
Van der Sar spent nine seasons at Ajax before spells with Juventus, Fulham and ultimately Manchester United, where he spent the final six years of his career.
The Dutchman helped United to four Premier League titles and three Champions League finals, triumphing in 2007/08.
Angel Di Maria Slams Van Gaal as 'Worst' Manager
Angel Di Maria
Van Gaal’s 31-year managerial career has taken him all over Europe, including Manchester United, where the Dutchman spent two seasons from 2014 to 2016.
While he led the Red Devils to the FA Cup in his second season, not everyone at United looks back on that period positively, with former winger Angel Di Maria labelling Van Gaal the worst manager he has ever worked under.
Speaking to ESPN Argentina, Di Maria spared no words about his dislike for Van Gaal, who managed the Argentine forward in his only season in Manchester in 2014-15:
“The worst (manager) is Van Gaal, you can be sure of that. In case you had any doubt, I'll clear that up for you right now.”
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