Interview: Edwin's Fab 5

In part two of this interview with United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, the Dutchman pays tribute to his team-mates’ performances throughout the season and reveals the strength of the Reds’ team-spirit…

Who was your United Player of the Year?
I voted for Cristiano [Ronaldo] and he deserves it. He has had such a great season, scoring so many goals from the midfield, so many important goals… how can it go to someone else? Yet were it not for Ronaldo, it could have gone to Rio [Ferdinand] or Vida [Nemanja Vidic]. They have done so well for us this season, Rio especially. And as a defence we also had so much success because of the contribution of Wes [Brown], filling in at right-back for Gary [Neville] all season, and Patrice [Evra] on the other side. If I could have voted for those five players then I would have – they’ve all been fantastic.

United’s 22 goals conceded was a record low which must make you proud…
Defensive records are not a major thing unless you win something at the end. In the two years I was at Juventus we had the best defensive record in Serie A, but we didn’t win the league in either campaign, so it didn’t mean a thing. If we had lost the title on the last day then our great record wouldn’t have added up to much either. I couldn’t have celebrated it. But when they bring you silverware, it is special. We have a lot of quality in the [defensive] department and for the first eight months of the season the back four hardly changed – always it was Wes, Rio, Vida and Patrice. The more you play, the more familiar you get.

How important was it that the back four barely changed throughout the season?
The understanding just grows all the time. And even when we did have to change and they did have to drop out of the side with injury, the players coming in, like John O’Shea, Owen [Hargreaves], Gerard [Piqué] and Mikael [Silvestre], all did very well for us. The club normally has an attacking side – it’s what we’re famous for – but this season we’ve had a defence to help grind out the results we’ve needed from certain games. You can’t always go out and play exciting football because sometimes that suits the opposition. The Barcelona games were like that. We played a style to get the result we wanted so much. So as a defence we have done well this season, but that is because others in the team have been working hard to help us. Likewise, the forwards score because the defence gives them a sound base: it is a team thing and it is a great team.

As you say, there was a perfect platform for United to prosper up front…
Our attack scored lots of goals and caused problems for the opposition. Just look at the goals scored by Wazza [Wayne Rooney] and Carlos [Tevez]. But the midfield was also impressive. The manager had many options and changed the side to suit the opposition. They all did so well there. Scholesy was missing for a few months, but players like Anderson, Michael Carrick and Owen filled in. There’s so many good players. And in the matches they needed to help the defence, they put in the extra shift. We defend as a team and attack as a team. All season we fought for each other, whether that was to score a goal or to keep a clean sheet.

United again scored a few late goals in 2007/08. What is it about United and all those late strikes?
At United you are expected to win. Anything else is seen as a terrible result. Throughout the club the thought is always to win. It’s not just the players, it’s the staff and the fans – everyone has a part in it. Don’t give up, that’s always the attitude. It’s saved us many points and won us games many times. When you see that success, you remember it and always feel that anything is possible.

Is it down to the team spirit, too?
Team spirit does play a part, yes. Just like this club always has to try and play nice football, the attitude is always that we’re a team and will achieve together. Sometimes you go out and it doesn’t always work – the opposition goalkeeper is very good or you miss your chances. But you just have to keep going and fight for each other until the final whistle.

Many players have stated that the OT team spirit is the best they’ve known…
It is great, right from all the experienced players to the group in the mid-section – that’s the 26- and 27-year-olds. And then you’ve got the young foreign lads that have come in, like Anderson and Nani… everyone gets along and wants the best for the club. Off the pitch, too, everyone is always willing to help each other. If someone wants to know a good restaurant, we tell them the places to go, or which shops. Anything we can help with, we do. Then, for games, we tell each other about other players. We want to work for each other – that’s the key to success, I think.