Edwin Van Der Sar

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Edwin Van Der Sar

Manchester United's desperate bid to find a worthy successor to Peter Schmeichel was well documented and, in the summer of 2005, as they turned to giant Edwin van der Sar, those gloves were finally filled.

Granted, Van der Sar's age - he was 34 when joining the Red Devils - led many to believe he was more of a stop-gap measure than the long-term answer. But, having played for five seasons and with no sign of any pretenders usurping him as United's No. 1, Van der Sar has cemented his status as the club's best goalkeeper since Schmeichel. A stopper with great agility for one so tall, he is a reliable and commanding figure between the sticks.

Van der Sar began his career with Ajax, where he won the UEFA Cup in 1992, the Champions League in 1995 and the Dutch domestic treble in 1996. Van der Sar's performances attracted the attention of European giants Juventus, who made him the first foreign keeper to play for the club in 1999. Just two years later, and having been displaced by Gianluigi Buffon, unfashionable Fulham pulled off a major coup when they signed Van der Sar from the Italians in a £7 million deal that smashed the Cottagers' transfer record.

He missed only one match in 2003-04, being as dependable as ever and holding the record for the most shots saved over the campaign. He passed 100 Fulham appearances that term - and was also named Fulham's Player of the Year. He was linked with a return to the Netherlands with PSV, but remained with Fulham and was also named in the Dutch squad for Euro 2004. With his contract due to expire in the summer of 2005, Fulham managed to tie him to a new two-year contact in January.

But at the end of the campaign agreed to move to Old Trafford after the two clubs settled on a fee and his arrival at United coincided with an improvement in the team's defensive performances. He won the 2006 League Cup and a year later helped United to a first Premier League title in four years as a virtual ever-present. In 2008 he celebrated Champions League success with the Red Devils - saving Nicolas Anelka's spot-kick to secure the triumph - as well as another league title.

In 2008-09, he went 1,311 minutes without conceding in the league - setting a new single-season world record. With a total of 21 clean sheets he won the Best European Goalkeeper award from UEFA and sealed his reputation as one of the best in the world. Ahead of the 2009-10 season many touted Ben Foster as a permanent replacement for Van der Sar but both he and Thomas Kuszczak failed to depose the Dutchman, who remains Ferguson's No.1.

Strengths: Van der Sar is a great communicator and remains admirably calm under pressure. An incredibly safe pair of hands, fumbling the ball is not something the Dutchman is familiar with.

Weaknesses: He rarely mistakes but on a few occasions has been known to parry shots back in front of him rather than to the side.

Career high: Saving Nicolas Anelka's spot-kick in a nerve-shredding shoot-out in the 2008 Champions League final to seal Manchester United's third European crown.

Career low: Losing his No. 1 spot at Juventus to Buffon having been the first non-Italian to stand between the sticks for the for the Turin club.

Style: Relaxed, efficient, alert and calm; a goalkeeper who leads by example and has complete command of the defence in front of him.

Quotes:"You don't dismiss the quality and experience of Van der Sar. You couldn't even say he is declining - he is at his peak. He is phenomenal. He really is top dog. He has that calmness about him and never gets excited about what is happening round about him." Sir Alex Ferguson on Van der Sar in October 2009.

Trivia: Van der Sar is the most-capped Dutch international of all time, making 130 appearances for his country in a 13-year-long international career.