Edwin van der Sar has revealed he came close to joining both Liverpool and Manchester United before eventually moving to Fulham. The Dutch goalkeeper, who later spent six successful seasons at Old Trafford, spoke about his near-misses in a 2017 interview with FourFourTwo.
Liverpool talks before Juventus move
When Van der Sar was preparing to leave boyhood club Ajax in 1999, he travelled to Liverpool and spoke with then-manager Gerard Houllier. He was shown around Anfield and met the chairman and several players. However, when Juventus came in with an offer, he decided the challenge of playing in Italy was bigger.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was also keen on signing Van der Sar at the time, but the Dutchman claimed the club's higher-ups had other plans. A deal to sign Mark Bosnich on a free transfer was already in place, meaning Van der Sar had to wait longer for his move to Old Trafford.
Six-year wait for United switch
Van der Sar joined Fulham in 2001 after two years at Juventus. He spent four seasons at Craven Cottage, helping the newly promoted side establish themselves in the Premier League. The move to Manchester United finally came in 2005, a few months before his 35th birthday.
During six seasons at United, Van der Sar won four league titles and the Champions League in 2008, when he saved a penalty from Nicolas Anelka in the shoot-out against Chelsea. That was his second European title, 13 years after winning his first with Ajax. After retiring, he returned to Ajax as CEO, a role he held until 2023.
