Latest news with #VanderSar
New Straits Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Amri's famous goal still haunts Van der Sar after 16 years
KUALA LUMPUR: "I know you — I think I've seen you before." That was the reaction of former Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar when he met his old tormentor, Amri Yahyah, at a recent event in Johor Bahru. It was their first encounter in 16 years — since Amri scored that memorable long-range strike past the Dutchman during a friendly between Malaysia and Manchester United at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil in 2009. In a video shared by a TikTok user, Van der Sar was seen shaking hands with Amri before immediately recognising the Malaysian forward. "I was told he (Amri) would be coming. My friend showed me the video (of the goal). It was an amazing strike," said the former Champions League winner. "I understand why you're so proud of it. All the fans were celebrating the goal. I think it's one of the best goals I've ever conceded. It's great to see you again." In 2009, Van der Sar looked stunned and in disbelief after being beaten by Amri's left-footed volley — a goal still fondly remembered by Malaysian fans. United had taken a 2-0 lead in the opening 30 minutes of that match through goals from Wayne Rooney and Nani, but Amri pulled one back just before half-time with a thunderous effort. He then added a second after the break to level the match 2-2. Michael Owen eventually netted a late winner to seal a 3-2 victory for the Red Devils. In May, Manchester United returned to Malaysia for the first time since 2009, but were stunned 1-0 by the Asean All-Stars in Bukit Jalil.
Metro
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Metro
Vn der Sar tells Ruben Amorim to give under-fire Man Utd duo another chance
Manchester United legend Edwin van der Sar hopes Ruben Amorim gives both Antony and Andre Onana an opportunity to win back the trust of fans at Old Trafford next season. Antony joined United with weighty expectations on his shoulders on the back of an £82million move from Ajax back in 2022. But the 25-year-old winger has badly struggled to live up to his hefty price tag at the Theatre of Dreams and is widely considered to be one of United's all-time worst signings. However, Antony enjoyed an extraordinary resurgence in the second half of last season after being sent on loan to Real Betis, finishing with nine goals and five assists in all competitions for the La Liga outfit. The Spanish club are keen to extend their temporary agreement for Antony beyond the summer and there talks are ongoing behind the scenes, with the Red Devils keen to resolve the Brazilian's future as quickly as possible. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link so we can send you football news tailored to you. Juventus and Bayer Leverkusen are also said to be exploring permanent moves for Antony as they scour the transfer market for attacking reinforcements. But according to Van der Sar, Antony should be given another chance to rescue his United career, even though Matheus Cunha's arrival from Wolves would appear to further block his path to the first-team. Asked for his thoughts on the club's transfer dealings, Van der Sar told The Sun: 'They're on the right track. 'I think they're signing a more experienced striker, maybe another one on the way. 'The two players they signed in the winter break [Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven] are good, so it should be fine and give the faith to the manager. 'Maybe [Alejandro] Garnacho is going to go. I would say bring Antony back, but I'm not sure if that's realistic.' In a separate interview with talkSPORT, Van der Sar encouraged United to keep the faith in Onana, despite an error-strewn start to the goalkeeper's Old Trafford career. 'I knew him already for a long time, for four or five years at Ajax,' the ex-United and Netherlands shot-stopper said. 'I trained with him and I saw him coming… he has great strengths, he's athletic, he has good reaction saves, he's good with his feet and everything, so I'm sure he's going to get over it. 'Sometimes it's not easy, the performances or the pressure there is, but I've seen him play for Ajax and Inter, I've seen him play Champions League finals so I'm sure that's going to be fine for next season.' According to Van der Sar, United should prioritise strengthening other areas of Amorim's squad before looking to find an upgrade for Onana. He added: 'I think there are more areas, other areas, where United should see if they can have better players, but I don't think the goalkeeping situation doesn't need to be addressed. 'Blame him if he makes a mistake or if he drops one through the legs or he misplaces a ball out from the back. Yeah, then you can blame the goalkeeper, of course. 'He's not been consistent in his performances this year. With the qualities he has, he should be able to play for Manchester United, of course, for next season.' Van der Sar believes Amorim's players should be better equipped at dealing with the intense scrutiny and pressure they have faced throughout United's malaise. 'Pressure has always been the case here in England, in the Premier League,' he continued. 'In our time, you had television or Sky Sports or The Sun or the Sunday papers, but nowadays, everybody has a social media outlet. 'How many ex-players can you have on television, saying something on the radio? So all the time everything is talked about, for four or five hours, about their mistake, about the tactical way the coach put the team forward. More Trending 'It's part of the job. They are being paid well, you should take the pressure and deliver the level that they think, the club thinks, they can produce on the pitch.' The Dutchman, a four-time Premier League winner with United, went on: 'It was an underwhelming season for the club, of course, and it's been a few years now that they didn't reach the level that they're supposed to reach. 'Also, some other clubs have stepped up, even some smaller clubs who are well organised and difficult to play against. 'It was a very poor season, topped off with losing the Europa League final against Tottenham without having a real fight.' Should Antony and Onana be given another chance? For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Shock club joins Tyler Dibling race amid Man Utd and Chelsea links MORE: Arsenal 'fed up' with Gyokeres transfer saga and switch to £70m target 'in last few hours' MORE: Inter Milan make new Rasmus Hojlund plan due to Manchester United's asking price
Metro
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Metro
Edwin van der Sar praises Man Utd target and criticises Arsenal star David Raya
Edwin van der Sar has named Bart Verbruggen among his favourite goalkeepers to watch in the Premier League amid rumours linking the Brighton man with Manchester United. Andre Onana has endured another desperately poor season at Old Trafford and United's hierarchy have reportedly decided find a long-term replacement for their £47million signing in the summer transfer window. The Red Devils have been credited with a strong interest in Aaron Ramsdale, who is on the hunt for a new club following Southampton's immediate return to the Championship. Porto's Diogo Costa, Borussia Dortmund's Gregor Kobel and Royal Antwerp's Senne Lammen have also been mooted as possible upgrades on Ruben Amorim's error-prone number one. However, reports last month claimed United had stepped up their pursuit of Verbruggen, 22, and talks were in place over a proposed £34m deal for the Netherlands international. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link so we can send you football news tailored to you. Van der Sar has previously jumped to the defence of Onana, recently backing the 'fantastic' Cameroon international to be United's first-choice 'keeper for a 'very long time' despite his struggles. But it appears Van der Sar is also a big admirer of the United-linked Verbruggen and has been pleased to see his fellow countryman's progress in his second season in English football. Asked to name his favourite current goalkeepers in the Premier League, Van der Sar told Optus Sport: 'I like Alisson and Ederson, both of them. 'But I think they're a little too much injured at the moment. They're not consistent. 'I like Bart Verbruggen. He's a young Dutch goalkeeper who is doing really well.' To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Van der Sar hopes to see 'a little bit more' from David Raya and believes the Arsenal goalkeeper at times lacks 'decisiveness' in his actions. 'I expect a little bit more for Raya at Arsenal,' the former Netherlands, Manchester United and Fulham shot-stopper added. 'I think he has to step up his game a little bit more. 'He has all the attributes and the qualities but you have to be more decisive.' Manchester United find themselves languishing down in 16th place in the Premier League table and will end the season with their lowest-ever points tally. But Amorim's men can still qualify for next year's Champions League by winning the Europa League – and Van der Sar hopes United bosses give their head coach the time he needs to fulfil his project, regardless of the result in Bilbao. 'It's obvious that there's a lack of success, mainly on the pitch,' he continued. More Trending 'Besides the pitch, that's always been a strong point from the club, but the last eight or nine years there's not been a lot of consistency in performances, retaining managers, the buying and selling of players. 'It's a big task, a big challenge. Sometimes, a club needs time. 'There's a project in place at the moment. They need to give it the time to get it to full growth. 'But sometimes at a big club, especially with the media and the pressure and the fans, it's difficult to get the results quickly.' Should Man Utd give up on Andre Onana? No, he deserves another chance! For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Ryan Giggs names the one Man Utd player it would be 'unthinkable' to sell MORE: Arsenal told Viktor Gyokeres is 'all theirs' on one condition MORE: Matheus Cunha makes decision over Manchester United transfer after Arsenal approach
Daily Mirror
11-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
What became of Glazers' first Man Utd signings and how their careers panned out
The Glazer family completed their controversial takeover of Manchester United exactly 20 years ago - but how did their first handful of signings at the club work out? It's been 20 years since the Glazer family took the reins at Manchester United. The takeover in May 2005 sparked protests from around 300 United fans outside Old Trafford, and even led to Bobby Charlton issuing a public apology to the owners for their frosty welcome. Fast forward to 2025, and the family has splashed out more than £2billion on transfers in a bid to secure Premier League and Champions League success, yet they continue to be a bone of contention among the United faithful. Despite Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS acquiring a minority stake in the club last February, with aspirations of injecting new life into the club by taking over football operations, there's been little improvement on the pitch. United ended up in eighth place in the 2023/24 season under Erik ten Hag, despite board support, and this season looks set to be even worse with a record low Premier League position looming. More investment is definitely needed in the upcoming summer transfer window if the board hopes to turn things around under latest manager Ruben Amorim, but it hasn't always been doom and gloom in the north west. In fact, some of the first signings made under the new era at Old Trafford went on to have stellar careers with the Red Devils under Sir Alex Ferguson. Edwin van der Sar – £2m After a four-year stint with Fulham, Edwin van der Sar made his move to United in June 2005 for a reported £2m. The goalkeeper quickly found his footing at Old Trafford, playing every minute of his debut season across all competitions, totalling 51 games, reports the Manchester Evening News. Van der Sar was instrumental in helping United clinch the Premier League title in the 2006/07 season, and followed it up with a league, Community Shield, and Champions League treble the next year – showcasing his skills particularly during a nail-biting European final penalty shootout against Chelsea. With four Premier League titles to his name, Van der Sar bid farewell to United in 2011, having made 266 appearances in total. He left as the club's best goalkeeper since Peter Schmeichel's departure in 1999. In his post-playing career, Van der Sar became Ajax's marketing director in 2012 before being promoted in late 2016 to the role of CEO. But in May 2023, he resigned from his post. Ji-sung Park – £4m Just a month after Van der Sar's arrival in the north west, the Red Devils secured the signing of Ji-sung Park from PSV for £4m. The midfielder's transfer marked him as only the second Asian player to sign for the club, following Dong Fangzhuo in 2004. Although Park didn't score as many goals as fans had anticipated, he was a key part of Ferguson's squad and featured in 45 matches in his first season. Despite his second year being marred by injury, he still managed to secure a Premier League winners' medal after netting five goals in 14 games. He was also part of the team that clinched the 2008 Champions League title, although he was left out of the squad for the final by Ferguson in a tough call. Park's most fruitful season came in 2010/11 when he netted eight goals in 28 matches before moving to QPR at the end of the season. He retired after returning to former club PSV Eindhoven for the 2013/14 season. Park completed his coaching badges as he took charge of QPR's Under-16 side as part of his coaching B license. After leaving the west Londoners, Park joined K League 1 side Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors as their technical director in 2022. There, he appointed ex- Chelsea star Dan Petrescu as manager, but the Romanian's time in charge didn't last long as he resigned mid-season. Park then became an advisor at the club, who opted for another former Chelsea man in the form of Gus Poyet, as he was announced as manager last year. Ben Foster – £1m Ferguson spotted Ben Foster while he was playing for Wrexham in the Football League Trophy final and snapped him up for United for £1m in July 2005. However, his stay in Manchester was short-lived as he was loaned out to Watford to gain some much-needed experience. He spent two years at Vicarage Road, making 81 appearances before returning to his parent club in summer 2007. A cruciate ligament injury sidelined him for about six months, but Foster finally made his United debut in March 2008. Sadly, he didn't play another first-team game for the rest of the season. After featuring in a total of 23 games for the club and even winning the League Cup with United twice, Foster moved to Birmingham City on a permanent deal in 2010. Since retiring from the game after a short spell with Wrexham, the 42-year-old has put plenty of effort and time into his popular podcast, Fozcast. Nemanja Vidic – £7m Nemanja Vidic joined the Red Devils in January 2006 in a £7m deal from Spartak Moscow. Ferguson threw him straight into the mix, with his debut coming in a League Cup semi-final second-leg match against Blackburn. The centre-back had a rocky start, in and out of the team for his first six months, before forming a formidable partnership with Rio Ferdinand ahead of the 2006/07 season. This duo has since been hailed as one of football's most iconic pairings. Vidic played a key role in United's Champions League victory in 2008, and also bagged five Premier League titles during his tenure at the club. After making 300 appearances for the Red Devils, Vidic bid farewell to United at the end of the 2013/14 season, having netted 21 goals – an impressive tally for a central defender. After leaving United, 18 months on the books at Inter Milan followed, before he hung up his boots for good following a string of injury problems that eventually saw his contract terminated by mutual consent. Patrice Evra – £5.5m Torn between Inter Milan and United, Patrice Evra eventually chose a move to England for £5.5m in January 2006. However, the French full-back initially struggled to adapt to the English game. Despite early hiccups, Evra managed to iron out his mistakes and became a vital part of the United squad, ending his first season with 14 appearances under his belt. Although he wasn't a regular starter in the 2007/08 season, he still contributed significantly to United's Premier League title win and soon became a mainstay in the team. Evra waved goodbye to Manchester United for Juventus in 2014, boasting 10 major honours and 379 appearances to his name. In his retirement, Evra has dipped in and out of punditry work for the likes of Sky Sports.
The Independent
03-05-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Edwin van der Sar hoping lightning strikes twice for Manchester United
Edwin van der Sar experienced Europa League heartbreak as chief executive of Ajax in 2017 when Manchester United triumphed in the final. Now, he hopes his former club can find similar success in the competition eight years later. Jose Mourinho's first campaign at Old Trafford ended by winning Europe's second-tier competition, which took precedence over the Premier League towards the end of the campaign that the Red Devils stumbled home in sixth. The Portuguese's decision paid off as United lifted the Europa League and sealed Champions League qualification by winning the Stockholm showpiece 2-0 against Ajax. The ex-United goalkeeper sees similarities to the current situation under Ruben Amorim, whose side enter the weekend 14th. They are tantalisingly close to the Europa League final after Thursday's 3-0 first-leg win at Athletic Bilbao in the last four. 'I know they had it once before in 2017 and I was the other team in the final with Ajax,' Van der Sar said. 'I was director, the chief executive. 'We were of course delighted to reach the Europa League final but when you're in a final you want, and you need, to win it. 'I think even that time United were outside the Champions League positions, so they were over the moon that they won the trophy. 'That situation or that possibility is still there for them, and hopefully they can save a small part of the season. 'But mainly being attractive for players and other personnel to come to United, and help them gaining respect, quality and not better players but different kind of players for the system that the manager wants to play.' While Van der Sar may have been cursing United in 2017, he retains strong affection for a club he helped win four Premier League titles and a Champions League during a six-year stint. 'It's an amazing club, we had great success, a fantastic manager,' he said of United, who travel to Brentford on Sunday. 'I spoke to (Sir Alex) Ferguson last month when I was there (visiting), and the guys who are running the club now. 'Hopefully with the warm feeling that I have, hopefully in the next coming years they can be, they need to be, back up at the level where they should be.' Van der Sar enjoyed his recent visit to Old Trafford, where he will be taking to the field on June 15 at Soccer Aid for UNICEF. It will be the 54-year-old former Netherlands international's second match since suffering a brain haemorrhage shortly after leaving Ajax in 2023. 'You're not doing it for yourself, it's of course for a good cause in UNICEF,' Van der Sar said. 'But it's an amazing feeling to get back to Old Trafford and be back on the pitch again. 'I had a brain haemorrhage two years ago and that game in October, which was in Korea, was the first one. 'So, I did some training with my son and you want to give a good impression to the fans and also for yourself, so on that part the health issues are gone. 'I work out once or twice a week in a gym, I cycle a lot on the road or with the mountain bike, play padel, golf. 'That's one of the benefits of not having a job at the moment that you have time to do other things and travel a lot, so that's why I hope to be as fit as a fiddle come the game.' Soccer Aid for UNICEF takes place on June 15 at Old Trafford. Adult tickets start from £20 and juniors from £10. See
