Edwin van der Sar Names His All-Time Greatest Teammates 11

When you think of the best goalkeepers in Premier League history, it’s impossible not to think of Edwin van der Sar. The Dutch shot-stopper was incredible at both Fulham and Manchester United, with him enjoying one of the most fruitful spells of his career at Old Trafford.

Claiming four Premier League titles along with a second Champions League of his career, the 2008/09 Golden Glove winner was crucial to the Red Devils’ success in the late 2000s. Also second for all-time caps for the Netherlands, Van der Sar’s incredible legacy is there for all to see.

Having also played for Ajax and Juventus before arriving on English soil, the goalkeeper was privileged enough to play alongside numerous legends of the game. Cramming the best of the best into one team is an arduous task, but Van der Sar gave it his best shot. Speaking on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, he picked out the 10 players, along with himself who would make it into his best teammates XI.

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Goalkeeper and Defence

Having been told that he would be the man inbetween the sticks, attention turned to the back four. There was little surprise over the two names picked by Van der Sar at centre-back, as both Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic earned their place in his XI.

While Patrice Evra might have laid a claim to the left-back spot, the goalkeeper was not prepared to budge on the man whom he played the most games with. Frank de Boer and Van der Sar were partners at both Ajax and for the Netherlands, taking to the pitch 345 times as teammates. While his management career might not have gone according to plan, there’s no doubt that the defender was a formidable force for De Oranje.

Completing the defence, though, was a surprise name. Despite playing with Gary Neville for multiple seasons at United, Van der Sar instead opted for Ciro Ferrera, who he met while at Juventus. Although they only played alongside one another for two seasons, the Italian was described as a “warrior” who proved to be integral to the Old Lady’s backline.

Midfield

If we’re speaking about players who were vital to Juventus, it’s impossible not to mention the great Zinedine Zidane. The Frenchman, regarded as one of the best players of all time, was always likely to make an appearance in this XI.

Next to Zidane, Van der Sar opted for someone who he only met in the twilight years of his career. Frank Rijkaard was never the glovesman’s teammate at international level, but returned to Ajax in 1993 for two seasons alongside the man who would go on to become one of the game’s great goalkeepers. Rijkaard would eventually win a third European Cup in the final game of his career, as his boyhood club beat his former team AC Milan in the final.

Van der Sar’s third midfielder came from yet another different team, with this pick equally unsurprising. Paul Scholes’ reputation as one of the greatest passers of the ball has earned him recognition from former teammates and opponents alike, who have all waxed lyrical about his technical ability. Consequently, it was impossible to leave the former England international out.

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Attackers

Van der Sar could easily have gone for a United trio as his attacking line, having played in the same team as Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs. But while two of the three made the cut, the England international was another high-profile name to miss out.

Ronaldo was steadily building his reputation when Van der Sar arrived from Fulham, but took his game to new heights before eventually leaving for Real Madrid in 2009. Claiming his first Ballon d’Or and Champions League at Old Trafford, that was a sign of things to come elsewhere.

Giggs, meanwhile, was at the opposite stage of his career, but just as impactful. Despite being 31 when Van der Sar moved to Manchester, the flying Welshman went on to play for nine more years, outlasting his Dutch teammate and only hanging up his boots at the age of 40, by which point he had claimed the Premier League’s all-time assist record.

When it came to a central attacker, though, Van der Sar opted for Arsenal icon Dennis Bergkamp, who he played with and against during his career. The Dutchman’s grace and poise on the ball helped others around him to thrive, most notably Thierry Henry, but he was still a great finisher too.

Check Out Van der Sar’s Full Breakdown Below: