2 Edwin van der Sar

After more than half a decade of searching, Sir Alex Ferguson finally got his man in June 2005.

The sizeable shoes of Peter Schmeichel had proven to be tricky to fill.

The likes of Mark Bosnich, Massimo Taibi, Raimond van der Gouw, Fabien Barthez, Tim Howard and Roy Carroll all failed.

Edwin van der Sar was different. The Dutchman, who arrived at Old Trafford from Fulham for a reported fee of £2 million, didn’t buckle under the pressure.

His composure unquestionable and his reflexes second to none, the then 34-year-old proved to be an absolute steal for the Red Devils.

How exactly had a man of his talent ended up strutting his stuff in front of Craven Cottage’s neutral stand every other week, you ask?

Well, he wanted to play. The phrase two steps back and one forward springs to mind.

Having been usurped as Juventus’ first-choice goalkeeper by the Old Lady’s record signing, Gianluigi Buffon, the newly promoted west London outfit allowed the Netherlands international to put himself firmly into the Premier League picture.

Four years with Fulham saw Van der Sar’s stock rise steadily and it was United that beat off competition from a host of clubs across to continent to secure their new number one’s services.

Unsurprisingly, the Netherlands international’s arrival saw a reliable presence restored to the club’s rearguard.

The defining moment of his United career arrived on a rain soaked Luzhniki Stadium pitch, moments after Chelsea skipper John Terry had lost his footing.

Van Der Sar reached to his right and clawed Nicolas Anelka’s penalty away to safety to claim his and United’s second Champions League trophy.

Several records tumbled during the Dutchman’s six-year stint in front of an adoring Stretford End. The shot stopper went 1,311 minutes without conceding a club goal during the 2008/09 season, breaking a Premier League milestone in the process.

He also became the first non-British player to be active in England’s top tier after his 40th birthday as well as the first goalkeeper to keep 50 clean sheets in the Champions League.

A total of 130 caps for the Oranje during a 13 year interntational career wasn’t too bad either. In fact, it is a record no Dutchman in history can match.

Meanwhile, Van der Sar’s last game for United prior to retirement was against Barcelona in the 2011 UEFA Champions League Final, which United lost 3–1.

Unlike Schmeichel, there was to be no defining piece of silverware to cap the goalkeeper’s last appearance, but he is now regarded as highly as the Great Dane. It doesn’t come much better than that.

Now aged 44, Van der Sar is currently a marketing director at Ajax and remembered as one of the modern era’s greatest goalkeepers.