Interview: Edwin Keeps On Going

Edwin van der Sar’s penalty heroics in Moscow to ensure a Premier League and Champions League double may have represented the perfect final act in the career of some 37-year-old goalkeepers. Not a bit of it for United’s giant Dutchman; he’s as driven as ever after an unforgettable 2007/08 season…

So, let’s start at the beginning: United, strange as it seems now, only took two points from the first nine in the league…
Despite playing well, we just couldn’t score goals to take the points. Then we went on a run of 1-0 wins that were important for us. And once the goals came, we had four matches where we scored four goals in each game – we played some great football in that period. After that we played some good, winning football – sometimes at our best, occasionally not. At this club we’re always disappointed when we don’t win, but we can still be pleased with the football we played.

Did you feel more pressure playing as champions?
There’s always pressure here to win every game, so there’s no difference. As players we are always focused on winning and the opposition always gives something extra because it’s Manchester United – that’s no different if we’re champions. We’re prepared for the teams we play to give their all.

In terms of your own performances, which game did you most enjoy?
I’d probably say Sporting Lisbon away. That game was almost perfect for me. The preparation, the coaching before the game, the saves I made, the way I played with the defence – it all felt right. We were under pressure for periods of that game, and I made some saves that turned out to be important because we won the game 1-0. And that was part of an important run of wins for us.

Which opposing team would you say gave you the toughest game?
We lost a few times so you can see that those were tough matches, but the away game at Reading was as tough as any of them. That was one of our hardest games, no question. We had to work so hard and run so much. We won 2-0 in the end, but the second goal came really late. Reading made it really difficult for us that day. The 1-1 at Tottenham was a hard game too, where Tevez scored an injury-time goal to save us also. Those two games were as hard as any we played all season.

Did any opposition player really stand out?
Of course: [Lionel] Messi. We played him very well, I think, but you could see in the games against Barcelona how good a player he is. We stopped him in both matches and that was important to beating them.

The atmosphere in the game at Old Trafford against Barcelona must have been incredible to experience?
The fans were really up for it, we wanted to win so badly, and it was against a Barcelona team that likes to play nice football. So it was set up for a big occasion and that’s what it was. It was the best atmosphere, no doubt, and the noise and colour helped us, especially towards the end when we were under pressure.

What was it like to win at Old Trafford against Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal?
As players we think every game is important, but we know how much those matches mean in the fight to win the Premier League. And for the fans, those matches are the ones they want to win most – you can tell by the noise and feeling inside the stadium. So to take three points from all of those matches was good for us and good for the fans. Each game was intense but we got the results we wanted. When you play 38 games it’s hard to pick out three as the most important, but those wins gave us a lift at the time we played them.

Having extended your stay by another season, are you ready for the challenge of the two, talented young keepers behind you?
As a goalkeeper you are always more separate from the main group than the outfield players, and there is only one place to compete for. But there is a great relationship between myself, Tom [Kuszczak] and Ben [Foster]. We do our work and help each other. We’re trying to learn from each other. I’m always willing to help them, of course. I give them advice and they learn things from me. But I can always learn things from them too. They may be young, but there is always a different way to do things. I see things and think, “Hey, that’s interesting – maybe I could try that.” You can do that with any goalkeeper.

So that makes it sound as if you’d like to stay longer than one more season if you can?
I just take it year by year and this year has been good for me – I feel good. I’ve had some little injuries, some little niggles, and that reminds you that you’re getting older. But really they’re nothing that a younger player can’t get also. I’ll keep on reviewing it, but winning trophies makes you feel younger. It makes you want to keep on playing.