If newspaper reports are to be believed, Edwin van der Sar could be ready to hang up his gloves at the end of the season.
Whenever he does go, he will leave with the undying gratitude of every Red across the world for what has already been a remarkable shift for the United cause.
Who will ever forget his heroics in Moscow, last season’s record run of 14 consecutive league clean sheets and the many match-winning saves he has made. He brings calm and organisation to the back line, and there’s no better keeper to have in a penalty shoot-out. Added to that, he’s probably the best catcher of crosses in the league.
It will be intriguing to see whether Ben Foster is given more starts this season as Sir Alex grooms him to take up the No.1 jersey. Tomasz Kuszczak must be wondering what the next stage in his career will be, and if the manager brings in goalkeeping cover this season, it will be interesting to see if the Pole moves up or down the pecking order.
Ben did marvellously when he went on loan to Watford for two seasons, before a knee injury ruled him out of the beginning of 2007/08, but he came back for the first team in March. His iPod-inspired heroics in the 2009 Carling Cup final against Tottenham shows that he has intelligence to go with fantastic shot-stopping and an incredibly long kick.
He’s already making claims to David James’ England jersey, and should he take over from Edwin, there would be few who would argue that he was not far off being the best stopper in the country. At 26, Foster has the experience that keepers need, which will only help in his claims to be No.1 for club and country. But are there any other keepers who could Sir Alex bring in to bolster the ranks?
Joe Hart (now on loan at Birmingham City) would be a long shot, but we have coaxed players from City in the past, and West Ham’s Robert Green has been massive for the Hammers over the last three seasons.
Wolves and Wales keeper Wayne Hennessey looks as though he could do a job, as he’s his country’s No.1, and while on loan at Stockport in 2007 he set a Football League record when he kept a clean sheet for nine consecutive games.
Whoever the boss puts between the sticks this season, you can be sure that they’ll do their best to keep the silverware coming.
go sign Buffon la seriously. Pay Juventus 25m and they sure cash in on him
yes
buffon
fast
or
gg