Van der Sar's Revealing Interview on United Executive Opportunity
Edwin van der Sar, the legendary former Manchester United goalkeeper, has publicly disclosed that he engaged in two separate rounds of discussions with then-United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward regarding a potential executive position at the Premier League club. The 55-year-old Dutch icon, who most recently served as chief executive at Ajax, confirmed the talks during an appearance on The Overlap, presented by Sky Bet.
Executive Talks with Woodward at Old Trafford
Van der Sar stated: 'Yes, I spoke to Ed Woodward twice about taking up a role at Manchester United, but at that point, I didn’t think my job was finished at Ajax with the path we were going on – we were not there yet. But I had two good conversations with him on two separate occasions about a role, probably alongside him.'
The former goalkeeper ultimately decided against joining United's executive team, choosing instead to continue his work at Ajax where he had been a board member since 2012 and chief executive since 2016. He eventually departed the Amsterdam club in 2023 following a disappointing third-place finish in the Eredivisie that saw Ajax miss out on Champions League qualification.
Continued Connection to Manchester United
Despite turning down the executive opportunity, van der Sar maintains a close connection to Manchester United, where he spent six successful years of his playing career, making 186 appearances between 2005 and 2011. He offered his assessment of current United goalkeeper Senne Lammens, who joined the club for £18.2 million from Royal Antwerp in September.
'He’s doing well. Of course, it’s only been seven or eight months, but it certainly looks like he knows the physicality of the Premier League – I see him coming for balls in the penalty spot and he claims them with confidence, makes saves when needed, not looking to make saves when not necessary,' van der Sar observed. 'I’m not here day-to-day and I don’t see all of the games, but he looks like he has a good package with him to be here [at Manchester United] for a long time.'
Goalkeeping Evolution and Personal Admiration
The former Netherlands international also shared his thoughts on the evolution of goalkeeping and the current players he most admires. 'I’m still a big fan of [Manuel] Neuer – even after his injuries. [Thibaut] Courtois, and [Gianluigi] Donnarumma – he had two great years at Paris Saint-Germain.'
Reflecting on how the position has changed since his playing days, van der Sar noted: 'I’m 6ft 6in, so it helped me a lot to be big and tall. Nowadays, when goalkeepers come out, they almost do the splits [instead of staying big]. Football has evolved and the art of goalkeeping has evolved with different techniques.'
Serious Health Scare and Recovery Journey
In July 2023, van der Sar experienced a serious medical emergency while on holiday in Croatia. He suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage – a bleed around the brain – and required intensive care treatment before being transferred to the Netherlands for further recovery.
Describing the frightening incident, he recalled: 'I’m OK now. I had it three years ago. I had a great holiday – a sailing trip in Croatia. On the last day, in the hotel, I got up to go to the toilet and felt dizzy, and I felt my neck. I went back into the room and said, "Close the curtains", and I sat on the bed not feeling well. My wife called the doctor, and I was told I had a brain haemorrhage.'
Van der Sar believes his recent resignation from Ajax five weeks prior to the health crisis actually aided his recovery. 'One of the things that helped was that I had just quit my job at Ajax as a director. Five weeks before that I had resigned. It was a big step for me, but I felt I had brought Ajax to a point where maybe I couldn’t bring any more to the club than I already did.'
'I was surprised because I had a great holiday, we were all relaxed, and then something like that happens to you. We went to the hospital, I was in intensive care, and I was there for three weeks. Then you have the recovery process and rehabilitation, and you know as a player you also want the best people around you and a programme fitted for you.'
Life After Football Administration
The former goalkeeper emphasized how the absence of professional pressures facilitated his recovery. 'I had no pressure about going back into a job – no phone calls, no emails, no decision-making – so that helped a lot to recover to the level that I am now.'
Van der Sar now enjoys a significantly more relaxed lifestyle without the daily stresses of running an elite football club. When asked if his health scare changed his perspective on life, he responded: 'No – I’m not that type of guy. What was nice for me was that I wanted to have a rest, take a year out of football, go to some other clubs and learn some new things.'
'Now it’s almost three years ago, so I’ve had time to recover with no stress, no phone in my hand – just doing the stuff that I’ve wanted to do. Wake up when you want, walk the dog, go swim in the sea, go on holiday. I went to New Zealand for two months with Annemarie [his wife] – nice things that I never had the chance to do before.'
Reflecting on his career timeline, van der Sar added: 'I started playing at 18 or 19, finished at 40, and at 41 I became one of the directors at Ajax until 53, so I thought it was the right time to take a step back. That’s taken a little bit longer than I originally thought, to be fair, but we are enjoying ourselves very much.'
