FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile

In the Dutch camp, no-one possesses a greater wealth of top-level experience than Edwin van der Sar. The Manchester United goalkeeper has started more matches for the Oranje than any other player, a record set in November of last year when he surpassed Frank de Boer’s impressive tally of 105 by lining up for the Netherlands in a friendly match against Italy.
Even De Boer’s overall haul of 112 senior caps, boosted by a handful of substitute appearances, is now within Van der Sar’s reach and could be eclipsed at the 2006 FIFA World Cup™. Fitness permitting, Van der Sar will begin the tournament as his country’s number one pick in goal, and no wonder.

After all, quite apart from his vast international experience, the 35-year-old can lay claim to having represented with distinction three of the world’s most renowned and high-profile football clubs. Van der Sar’s first love was Ajax, and it was with the Amsterdam giants that his football career began in earnest, with the big goalkeeper emerging in the early 1990s at the head of a prodigiously talented group of youngsters, all reared within the club’s famed youth system. He made his first few senior appearances during season 1990/91 and won his first European trophy soon afterwards, aged just 21, when Ajax triumphed over Torino to win the UEFA Cup in 1992.

Those were exciting times and better was to follow in season 1994/95 when, with the likes of Clarence Seedorf, Kanu and Patrick Kluivert all emerging, Ajax returned to the pinnacle of European club football by winning the UEFA Champions League, with Van der Sar’s performance in a 1-0 win over AC Milan typical of his brilliance en route to the final. Of course, by then, the entire football world had begun to sit up and take notice of this giant of a keeper who, while measuring in at an imposing 1.97m, possessed the agility and reflexes one would not normally expect in a man so tall.

When Ajax returned to the Champions League final the following season only to lose on penalties to Juventus, rumours were already rife surrounding Van der Sar’s future, though he remained loyal to the Amsterdam club until 1999, when an offer from the grand Old Lady of Italian football proved irresistible. At 29, the Dutchman became the first non-Italian goalkeeper in Juventus’s history, but though he played 66 times during a two-year stint in Turin, the signing of Gianluigi Buffon provided the broadest hint that his time at the Stadio Delle Alpi was well and truly up.

Van der Sar’s next destination raised eyebrows, but when ambitious Fulham proved willing to meet Juve’s price-tag of £5million in the summer of 2001, the Dutchman jumped at the opportunity of guaranteed first-team football in the English top flight. He spent four years in the mid-to-lower reaches of the Premiership with Fulham before in July 2005, Sir Alex Ferguson - a long-term admirer - handed him a move back to the big time at Manchester United.

United’s search for a worthy successor to Peter Schmeichel was at an end. Van der Sar has brought some much-needed stability to a Red Devils defence that had been missing a commanding, marshalling presence ever since their great Dane’s departure and he ended his first season at Old Trafford with a League Cup winner’s medal.

Germany 2006 will be Van der Sar’s fifth major international tournament. His first was EURO 96 and since then he has featured in the Netherlands teams that reached the last four at the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championships of 2000 and 2004. After suffering the heartbreak of defeat on penalties in 1998 and 2000, Van der Sar helped end a miserable run in shoot-outs for the Dutch with a save from Olof Mellberg that set the scene for Arjen Robben to sink Sweden in the quarter-finals at EURO 2004.

He also proved hugely influential in the qualifying campaign for Germany 2006 as the Netherlands conceded just three times in 12 matches, a remarkable record that included Van der Sar going a whole year without being beaten in a competitive international (November 2004-November 2005). In a comparatively youthful Netherlands team, Van der Sar is a reassuringly experienced figure whose importance to the Oranje cause is clear to see.

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UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile

Once described by AFC Ajax legend Johan Cruyff as the club's "best attacking player", Edwin van der Sar is a talented goalkeeper who uses his considerable height to command his box and is ever-keen to distribute the ball.

Club
Part of Ajax's second golden generation, Van der Sar won five championships and three Dutch Cups in Amsterdam. They were also irrepressible in Europe, and in 1995 Van der Sar added a UEFA Champions League winners' medal to a UEFA Cup title from 1992 as Ajax beat AC Milan 1-0 in Vienna. Joined Juventus in 1999 and was a regular for two years before the €53m arrival of Gianluigi Buffon. Van der Sar opted to move to England in 2001, signing for Fulham FC for €11.5m on a four-year deal. After seeing out that contract, he joined Manchester United FC - solving the goalkeeping problems that had persisted since Peter Schmeichel's departure and helping the Old Trafford club to League Cup glory in 2006.

National team
After a senior Netherlands debut against Belarus in June 1995, Van der Sar appeared at EURO '96™ before suffering semi-final defeats on penalties at the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2000™ to Brazil and Italy respectively. The Dutch failed to qualify for Korea/Japan, but at UEFA EURO 2004™ suffered more last-four misery. He won his 100th cap in June 2005 against Romania, and went on to play in all four games in Germany.

Did you know?
Van der Sar was the first non-Italian to keep goal for Juventus.

©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.

UEFA EURO 2004™ player's profile

Once described by AFC Ajax legend Johan Cruyff as the club's "best attacking player", Edwin van der Sar is a talented goalkeeper who uses his considerable height to command his box and is ever keen to distribute the ball.

National team
Van der Sar was 24 years old when he first represented the Netherlands against Belarus in June 1995. That 1-0 reverse failed to dent his confidence and the Voorhout-born custodian has since amassed over 80 caps. Vastly experienced, he appeared at EURO '96™ before suffering semi-final defeats on penalties at the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2000™. Further disappointment followed as the Dutch failed to qualify for Korea/Japan.

UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying
Played in both legs of the play-off defeat of Scotland and six of the Netherlands' eight qualifiers - conceding five goals - having been injured for the home draw against the Czech Republic and the narrow away victory in Moldova.

Club
Part of Ajax's second golden generation, Van der Sar won five championships and three Dutch Cups as the Amsterdam club swept all before them domestically in the 1990s. Louis van Gaal's side were also irrepressible in Europe, and in 1995 Van der Sar added a UEFA Champions League winner's medal to a UEFA Cup one from 1992 as Ajax beat AC Milan 1-0 in Vienna.

1999: Left Ajax for Juventus FC, where he appeared regularly over two seasons before losing his place to Italian Gianluigi Buffon following the latter's record-breaking €53m arrival from Parma AC.

2001: Joined Fulham FC for €11.5m on a four-year contract and was immediately established as the London club's No1. Van der Sar missed just one Premiership game in his debut campaign before injury limited him to 19 appearances in 2002/03.

2003/04: Another consistent campaign for Fulham, with Van der Sar making a total of 37 league appearances as the club finished ninth.

Did you know?
Van der Sar was the first non-Italian to keep goal for Juventus.

©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.