For some reason I thought I would be able to avoid this even as that inevitable moment grew closer with each passing day, and unfortunately now that goodbye has been made even harder after the events of the weekend. We have known for months that come May we would bid farewell to Edwin van der Sar, who has admirably been the protector of United’s goal for six seasons, but we had all hoped it would be on different circumstances.I suppose we the fans and van der Sar himself have little room for complaint. He departs from Old Trafford as the No 1 in a season that saw United win the Premier League, and in the process become the most successful team in the history of England. Few would argue that lifting the 19th league title is about as perfect as a goodbye could be for van der Sar; it is a goodbye he has certainly earned after playing in four title winning teams during his six year stay. You certainly cannot complain about seeing him retire as a part of the history of this majestic club. Sadly, the events of last Saturday have soured the goodbye. For a goalkeeper who set the world record for consecutive clean sheets while wearing a United shirt, it is almost surreal that our final memory of van der Sar will be of Barcelona putting three goal past him in the Champions League Final. That is of little fault to him, at least in my eyes, as Barcelona were simply the superior as they put on one of the greatest performances in history. Few would argue that this Barcelona team is on the brink of becoming the best team in history if they aren’t already, but that doesn’t make it any easier to accept that van der Sar’s final game was a loss.
Following the retirement of Peter Schmeichel, it took six seasons for Sir Alex to find the proper fit for our club’s goalkeeper. Finally in 2005 we completed the signing of Edwin van der Sar from Fulham for a reported £2million fee, which is incredible given what the Dutchman has done in the six years since his move. In that time he was named Best European Goalkeeper on three occasions. As I mentioned earlier, he also won four Premier League titles and set the record for the most consecutive clean sheets going 1,311 minutes without conceding. With United he also picked up his second Champions League medal, saving Nicolas Anelka’s penalty to secure victory. Not a bad return from a £2million signing. These six years at United also included three Champions League Final appearances, the last which made for his final appearance to be a devastating goodbye.
It is safe to say that van der Sar had become one of my principal heroes at the club over the past six years. Until this season I had never purchased a goalkeeper shirt, but such was my affection for the man that I bought one to commemorate his final season. It may seem like a small gesture, but to me I think I would have regretted not having a shirt to remember a player I had grown so fond of. It was the least I could do to pay my own special tribute to one of the great heroes to grace this club.
Saying farewell to a hero is never easy, but it makes it even more painful knowing that we have to say goodbye coming fresh off a loss, a fact which is only compounded by the fact that the loss was in a cup final. For someone who has been such phenomenal part of this club and who has provided so much to our success, I wish that he could have lifted that European Cup and leave us with that image forever ingrained in our minds. But sadly that is not how it happened and we cannot alter the past. Hopefully that does not change our memory of van der Sar, and I am confident that we will remember him for all his brilliance and accomplishments. Right now the wound from defeat is still deep, but as it heals and the pain diminishes, we will think of all of the good that van der Sar did. The silverware he lifted, the spectacular saves he made and the honors he amassed. That is how he is best remembered. But for now, I just wish that we could have said goodbye in a different way. That is what van der Sar deserved.
I would simply like to conclude by showing my most sincere gratitude to Edwin van der Sar for all that he has given to Manchester United in the past six years. It has been an absolute pleasure to watch one of the greats and to be able to call him one of our own. While we say goodbye to van der Sar, we also welcome a hero into the history books of our club. Like Schmeichel before him, van der Sar has achieved such success at Old Trafford that his contributions will never be forgotten. He will forever be the man who tended goal when that illustrious 19th title was won, and for that his name will always be remembered. Thank you Edwin, and may you enjoy the retirement that you have most definitely earned. Tot ziens.
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