Edwin van der Sar signs his final contract with Man Utd

12 December 08 by Bill

Just like he said he would, Edwin van der Sar made a decision on his future before the new year and the result is a one year extension to his current deal. Van der Sar has agreed a one year extension with the club and Ferguson has revealed that it will be the Dutchman’s last.

“Next year will be his last,” Ferguson said. “Edwin has great experience, and his temperament and performance levels have never changed”.

The extension will mean Van der Sar will play until he is 39 having joined the club in June 2005 for £2 million. The experienced keeper has clocked up 161 appearances for the club in that time and has collected two Premier League titles, a League Cup and his second Champions League winners’ medal; His first came back in 1995 with Ajax.

With United’s number one coming to the end of his career, you can expect to see the Dutchman less and less as United prepare for the day he hangs up his boots. Ben Foster and Tomas Kuszczak are vying for the number one jersey and Ferguson expects the competition between the two to intensify given this latest announcement.

Edwin has helped with the development of our young keepers, but next year we need to make it more competitive for Ben and Thomas,” Ferguson added. “It will come down to whoever is the right man for the job.”