Van der Sar on World Cup Heartbreak, Man United and Sir Alex

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1:07That's O-D-O-O dot com. I wanted to keep it to go off, really. It was that time to try and have a go-and-go. And then there was one against Portsmouth at home in the FA Club. I went over to Stevie and said, like, there's only me going in, because I was the only one who went back and put Rio in. Poor penalty, like. Did you relish penalty shootouts?

1:30Edwin van der Sar:What does relish mean? When you look forward to them. When you realise. No, not really. I think nobody, I think everybody, okay, you want to be a hero or something, but you want to win the game. What was that game that you used to play, the PS? He hated it. Did he? He hated it. He's getting a massage and everything and they're like, he's there, he's there, he's there. Now, the first thing to say about this record is it might sound a little bit different, mightn't it? Because we're at Soccer Aid. I think this is safe to say, Wayne, this is probably one of your favourite weekends of the year. Yeah, no, it's always great coming to Socrate.

2:04How would you describe our guest, the man who's sitting next to me, then, before we introduce him? Edwin, I think at the time we had Tim Howard, Roy Carroll, and it's not a disrespect to them, but I think when Edwin came in, we started winning. And he brought a calmness, a trust to the defence, which then went right well throughout the team. And goalkeepers are so important, even though I don't like to say it.

2:36Edwin van der Sar:They normally never say that, whatever. He doesn't normally say that. He's number 10 or something, or the striker or the winger or whatever. I'd only say very rarely that the goalkeeper is really important in a team. You must be special. Of course, we are joined by Edwin van der Sar for Wayne to say that. Manchester United's greatest ever keeper. I was going to say, Kay is also a lifelong Manchester United fan and he's been saying all morning, he's been excited to meet you. I bet you said the same to Peter Schmeichel when he was in this match. He cartwheeled against us. So no, no, no, no. I didn't say that about Peter Schmeichel, no.

3:08As we said, we are speaking to you at Soccer Race. We're a couple of weeks out from the World Cup. Let's talk about this summer's tournament then. Do you get excited for World Cups? Do you enjoy watching them?

3:18Edwin van der Sar:I enjoy playing in them. I remember being in 94, and that's like about 32 years ago. I was the third goalkeeper. That was my first tournament, also in America. I remember it's like the humidity, the heat, it can be immense. So four years ago, we talked a lot about Qatar, what kind of influence the weather will be or the heat. And that could be similar for the World Cup in America. And of course, you get the creme de la creme from the football world connecting. team. Having 48 teams, I'm not really sure if that brings the quality forward that football really needs. But you see how development goes in countries who are qualifying for the World Cup, what it means for sponsors, partners and players and the opportunity to play at the highest level.

4:04Edwin van der Sar:And from there on can kickstart a career from a player from Cape Verde or from Curaçao, for example. How do you reflect on your international career? Because you played a lot. The Netherlands had some real stars, a bit like England when Wayne played as well. Like in this country, it's kind of been labelled with England the golden generation. It was kind of similar for you guys. Okay, but we are a very small country, Holland. So it's like, we only have 18 million people. And I think we did really well on tournaments. I had a few semifinals, 98 World Cup against Brazil. We lost on penalties. How do you reflect on that one in particular?

4:39Edwin van der Sar:That was a hard one to take. That was a really difficult holiday to have afterwards because how many chances do you have to play in the World Cup, reach the semifinal or could even come to the final. So that was a big blow. And then we lost the semifinal in Euros in 2000, also by penalties. And I think along the way, I learned also what is needed to save penalties. And I think everybody, it's a progress. How do you come to the finished article at the end of your career? And slowly, slowly, I start to learn also the trait of saving penalties. And I think that helped me in the later stage of my career, mainly at club level, to gain also some trophies.

5:18Edwin van der Sar:But missing in your career, that's for sure a final with Holland. Did you relish penalty shootouts? Were you one of those keepers? What does relish mean? Were you looking forward to them? When you realised? No, not really. I think everybody, okay, you want to be a hero or something, but you just want to win the game. It's a long tournament. and nobody's really looking forward to an extra time and to penalties. And of course, there's a big responsibility on the goalkeeper, but having the pressure of walking from the center circle as a first, second or third penalty taker and feeling that the whole world looks at you, the whole nation expects you to score the penalty, that's immense.

6:06Edwin van der Sar:So it's not easy. It's not a lottery. The last couple of years I've been reading a lot about this subject also. There's a great, great book from a Norwegian professor explaining about the tactics behind penalties and what to do. Maybe I said too much already. Do you think they put too much work into it, in penalties? Is there such a thing as too much work in how they study? I think at a certain point, if you look at how many finals, or semi-finals are decided by penalties. So in that way, it's a part of football, part of the tactics. And of course, during tournaments, you can train a little bit more.

6:51Edwin van der Sar:You have to seclude the pitch and everything. So I think it's worth it. And of course, I know you also, whatever the effort you put in in making your penalty better, making free kicks better, it's part of your job. And it's not that intensive to take five or ten penalties a couple times in a week. I think for a keeper, it's mind games and penalties. Obviously, you can do the preparation, but then it becomes about mind games. And I remember, obviously, practice. What helped me with playing with Edwin is practice and penalties or practice and free kicks because he's a massive fella. I've noticed.

7:33So when you're doing the free kicks, Except I'm not going to think if I can score past Edwin. Yeah. It makes it a little bit easier when I come into the game against the goalkeepers. I think that's another compliment, Edwin. Here we go. He never compliments keepers normally. When you look back on those Dutch sides, when Edwin was playing as well, obviously you were playing internationally too. They were impressive, weren't they? Just the list of names that you associate with Dutch football, you're talking like your Edgar Davids, Clarence Seydorf, even going further back to Van Basten and those players.

8:04and later on Van Nistel, Roy and Schneider. There's so many players for such a small nation that you've produced that are top quality.

8:11Edwin van der Sar:Do you feel like you're lacking that star quality at the moment when we're going into this World Cup? Maybe I can say what Van Persie had or what Arjen Robben had. Maybe we're lacking it a little bit and I think we're maybe missing a prime striker. We don't have, say, a Harry Kane. You know almost for sure he's going to score four goals this tournament. and that's nice and you see the Moyen that he had at Bayern Munich the last three years so that's nice already in a team to have so that's something for a coach to build on. I wouldn't say whatever France has the amount of players they have, Spain is good, of course Brazil and Argentina they play in sort of like the same...

8:54You gonna mention England?

8:57Edwin van der Sar:No I think no it's like that's 16 that will be no no No, of course, but even for myself, of course, I'm not based in England, not based in the UK, but certain names are less known for myself. They play at some, let's say, other teams than the United, the cities, the Liverpools. And that gives you a great platform for them, maybe for their, not only the international career, but also to make that next step. if you play in such a big tournament, then for those players, it could be an eye-opener and the eagerness to maybe to go to a different, maybe bigger club. What about yourself? Do you think now, it's more about the team you've seen?

9:42Obviously, we've seen superstars going to World Cup over the years and normally one of them makes an impact like Mbappe or Hurricane. Okay, so who do you think is going to win it then? We've established not England.

9:53Edwin van der Sar:Argentina or France, I think. Yeah, is that Argentina also because of being used to the heat and stuff as well? Yeah, maybe. Maybe the mentality they have as players, like whatever they, it's over my dead body that somebody is going to take this away from us. And sometimes the Dutch are, we like to play nicely, we like to play controlled football. And sometimes you need a little bit more also to really, really want something. And that was the great thing that we had in, let's say, the May United team. We had sort of like everything that was needed to win games, to win Premier Leagues. And we were hungry.

10:26Edwin van der Sar:we were we had a destiny in our minds and like something to prove and you wanted to do it for a manager and that's also really important to the connection that you have with the boss to make sure that you get the success that you want but it must be great to be back together it must bring back the memories being here because you and Wayne had such a successful time at Manchester United yeah of course I came at the later stage of my career I was 34 and I was able to play for six years and what Wayne already said when I came in, the manager, what he asked, he wanted to have like authority, like something building up from behind, making sure that there's authority in the back four.

11:09Edwin van der Sar:I think Rio was still developing towards a world-class defender. We had still some other players before. Vícik came in, Patrici came a little bit later. So I think whatever the the way Ferguson built up the puzzle towards a Champions League winning team, a Premier League winning team again. I think they added three or four pieces and that gelled together. And then the quality combined with the youth and the energy that the younger players gave, looking at Wayne and Ronaldo, that made it an incredible period in my life to play for a club like that. What did Edwin bring when he walked through the door, Wayne?

11:48I think the biggest thing was the trust. from back line especially and as he said authority and a calmness I think a calmness in taking the ball, slowing the ball down at times and really I think that was the start of goalkeepers playing out from the back and taking control of the games and slowing the game down for you at the right times but the biggest thing was trust I think everyone trusted what Edwin had, his experience his composure with the ball and that went right the way through the scene. What I want to know is what were you like in the dressing room? Were you part of what was that game that you used to play the PS?

12:28He hated it. He hated it. He didn't go on a PSP.

12:31Edwin van der Sar:I had a PlayStation at home whatever this I played myself like a couple of those war games everything but like not nothing and not the game they played. No no no I think it was something for them. Did you have a book and often I took a book or something and we've got DVD and everything. But I remember in the massage room on the Friday night and everything, it was mayhem. Like, you're getting a massage and everything and there's like three guys sitting there. There's two guys under the table. There's one guy, whatever, near the bathroom or something. And it's, he's there, he's there, he's there.

13:01Edwin van der Sar:He's killed you. So now it's also, I think the camaraderie, and of course you come from different backgrounds, different age groups and everything. But the way you connect with each other, of course on the pitch is the most important thing. But if you can have that friendship or like the camaraderie togetherness. And that shines through on the pitch. And that's something what winning teams often have, must have. This is summer at its peak. Whole Foods Market Summer Fruit Fest is your invitation to eat the season. Fresh, organic and bursting with flavor. Start your day with peaches and organic blueberries and yogurt.

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14:29did you wish you'd have come to united when you were a bit younger no i had a chance i think i

14:34Edwin van der Sar:I went to Juventus 99, I went to Juventus. Yes. I got my last almost 95 % clear and I think we went back to the hotel in the anticipation to sign the next morning. And then my agent had a call from the brother of Ferguson. He said like, Edwin, can you come over to Manchester? I want to, Smeichel is leaving, Mojir would like you to follow up in his footsteps. I said, yeah, okay, we're 95 % there. Juventus is a very big team also. and I wanted to play in a different kind of league, and I always thought I would end up in a Premier League somehow, like the way I can play, the type of my goalkeeping skills.

15:13Edwin van der Sar:So we said no, and so it took another six years, and a couple of twists and turns before finally we came together. Was it three Premier Leagues and the Champions League you won during your time at United? I thought you would have made your homework or something. It was like four Premier Leagues. Four, I've missed one of them. Three Champions League finals, only winning one, to be fair. and a couple of league cups and those kind of things. But that don't really count, to be fair, because winning the Premier League for myself, I originally signed a two-year deal and that time I would have met myself like 36.

15:46Edwin van der Sar:So I thought, OK, let's get a chance at Man United. If we can win one Premier League title, that would be fantastic. After that, I go back to Holland maybe one or two years at Ajax, finish my career slowly and I would be happy. But it turned out... Went better than you expected. It was a nice and successful stint there in the Northwest. Yeah, but the Champions League, we lost as well. It was arguably against the best team ever played the game, the Barcelona team. It was so difficult to play against Werner. It was, you know, obviously Messi, Iniesta, Xavi, Busquets, and it was so difficult to play against.

16:25So I think we were very unlucky when we had to come across that Barcelona team.

16:29Edwin van der Sar:Yeah, absolutely. Of course, we beat them in the semifinal in 2008. I think you scored a penalty, I think. You scored away from home? Scolzi scored. No, Scolzi scored. Oh, that was nil-nil, I think. And Scolzi had the volley. So on that way, I think 2008 was fantastic. 2009, the way they played was a different kind of football. I think that the Guardiola era was developing and he was molding Barcelona like in the style of football that I think everybody likes. A lot of touch with the ball and for Rio and Vida was quite difficult with Messi dropping in the midfield and everything and one comes out then you had Henry or Eto 'o coming into the centre so Simone got back and then at the midfield we're playing three against five so it was difficult but I think the memory that you have winning a Champions League title, it's fine.

17:23Edwin van der Sar:Winning two is even better of course. I was going to say, I can't believe I focused on, admittedly, I missed the Premier League. I can't believe I focused on the Champions League that you won and you've started talking about the Champions League final that you lost. I thought you'd want to talk about 2010. I think the things that you win are there in your back pocket. So you've worked hard for it. You've established yourself. You have the success and you got the medal, for example. But the things that you lost and didn't succeed, that hurts me the most. Do you still think about those days? No.

17:51Edwin van der Sar:Yeah, if you talk now, but it's not that on a Tuesday afternoon I sit on my bike and oh Jesus 2011 how is it possible that we lost the game now I remember before I think it was the 2009 Champions League final I remember we were doing a team meeting with Alex Ferguson said that they had no speed up top I was thinking is he sure here are you really sure they said that they did not say that they have a lot of speed in there because I can't read them I imagine that you said that with the players they're playing with. Who was the toughest opponent you reckon you had? Difficult questions always. So I played prime like the early Brazilian Ronaldo.

18:37Edwin van der Sar:I played against him, so it was good. Always difficult against the Batistutas in this world. We played for En Crespo, those kind of players. Dropped by an hour time. It was difficult also. He was never fazed or something. He was scared for anyone. No, because most of the time I played in a good team. You prepare yourself well. You talk, you coach your defenders. We have great players, midfielders, strikers. So never feared anyone, but there are a few good ones that I played against and with. Yeah, of course. As proof I did do my homework, I promise. As proof I did do my homework, it's right that you assisted Wayne.

19:14Is that right against Aston Villa?

19:16Edwin van der Sar:Yeah, yes. That was a nice thing with Wayne because he had loads of energy and he loved to run. Do you remember that one, Wayne? And the thing that I had also, when I had the ball, I always looked up because I wanted to resume the game quite quickly. And I had a very good, whatever, pass in myself. Not as good as Colsey, but I think I could hit a ball, a few good balls over the top. And I think Wayne and Michael Owen and everything. So I think we, at a certain point, we had a discussion about when it's like an offside or something. And when we're defending and from there on leave the ball. And I just walk casually towards the ball and whatever.

19:52Edwin van der Sar:I kicked it and Wayne was running just be ready obviously as soon as Edwin got the ball and he'd come out towards the edge of the box and then you'd be ready to make a run because I think he was the last of that generation who'd done the drop kick didn't he? yeah the drop kick yeah where everyone was going to the sav volley but Edwin had a drop kick so it stayed quite flat so whenever I see him get the ball and come towards the edge of the box then all I had to do was be sad on and ready for them to make that pass yeah it's a great finish from Wayne to be fair but I also know that he missed two also on my assist so one for sure against Blackburn and another one I don't remember but you remember those ones as well?