Scotland midfielder Darren Fletcher reckons Edwin van der Sar’s refusal to come out of international retirement is justified.
The Manchester United keeper failed to respond to Bert van Marwijk’s call to help the national team and Fletcher revealed van der Sar was "tempted" but decided against a return to the international stage during a recent conversation.
“He did mention it, he mentioned that he’d been asked to go back,” said Fletcher. “But I think he made his decision that he came back to help them not long ago.
"I think he made his decision to retire and you’ve seen his performances this season, that it maybe has been justified.
“In that he’s not still really young, he doesn’t really need internationals, he’s prolonging his club career by doing that and that is what he feels he has to do at this stage in his career.
“So, I think that although he was tempted, he decided not to.
“I don’t know if the manager [Sir Alex Ferguson] has had a word in his ear as well because he’s playing against Scotland or whether he felt sorry for me or anything like that.
“But he made the decision not and I would like to think it’s good for Scotland.”
However, Fletcher thinks it was an easy decision for his United colleague because of his very impressive international career to date.
He added: “I think it’s different for Edwin van der Sar because he something like 120-odd caps or whatever it is and broke records.
“He’s played in many major competitions for Holland and he this decision to prolong his club career - he would leave out his international career and give his body a rest and give his mind a rest
“He probably was tempted but I think he realises that Manchester United are playing at a high level and he wants to be ready and ready for Manchester United which is good for us.”