Edwin van der Sar has revealed that Manchester United could have signed him years before he actually arrived at Old Trafford.
The Dutch goalkeeper was already on Sir Alex Ferguson’s radar when he left Ajax in 1999. In fact, Ferguson wanted Van der Sar to eventually replace Peter Schmeichel. It just didn’t happen at the time.
Van der Sar was looking at his options in England and even travelled to Liverpool, where he met manager Gerard Houllier, the chairman and some of the players. Liverpool were keen, but Juventus eventually won the race.
Looking back, Van der Sar said the move to Italy felt like the bigger challenge.
Manchester United, meanwhile, went in another direction. The club’s chairman had agreed a deal to bring in Mark Bosnich on a free transfer, leaving Ferguson to wait for the goalkeeper he originally wanted.
“I found out that Ferguson had always been really keen on signing me but the chairman of United had a deal to sign Mark Bosnich on a free instead,” Van der Sar told FourFourTwo.
The plan had been for Van der Sar to succeed Schmeichel. Instead, it took another six years.
Ferguson finally got his man at Old Trafford
Van der Sar eventually got the call from Sir Alex Ferguson, and it came in a way he still remembered clearly.
“I found out that United were going to sign me when I discovered a voicemail from Ferguson. That was a special day. That was the moment I thought: ‘This is why I came over to London – to eventually make this next step forward.’”
Ferguson already knew exactly what he wanted from his new goalkeeper. It wasn’t just about stopping shots.
“Ferguson told me he needed someone who could lead and give guidance to the defence. He said he knew I wouldn’t get flustered if the side were under pressure.”
By the time Van der Sar finally joined United, he was close to his 35th birthday. For most players, that might have raised questions. It didn’t take long for him to prove his value.
He stayed for six seasons and won four league titles. Then came the moment United fans will remember most.
In the 2008 Champions League final against Chelsea, Van der Sar saved Nicolas Anelka’s penalty in the shootout, helping United lift the Champions League.
It was his second Champions League triumph, having already won the competition with Ajax 13 years earlier.
Six years late, but the timing proved right
There is a funny twist to Van der Sar’s story. Ferguson had wanted him back in 1999, but United had to wait until 2005 to finally get the deal done.
By then, Van der Sar had played in Italy and England and had plenty of experience behind him. That turned out to be a perfect fit for Ferguson’s side.
He brought calmness to the defence, leadership at the back and, when it mattered most, produced the kind of save that can define a final.
After retiring, Van der Sar returned to Ajax and later became the club’s CEO before stepping down in 2023.
His career could have taken a very different route. He could have gone to Liverpool in 1999, and he could have joined United much earlier.
Instead, the move to Old Trafford took six years longer than Ferguson had originally hoped.
It was a long wait. For United, it was eventually worth it.
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