Edwin On Retirement

Edwin van der Sar’s thoughts are finally turning to his retirement after the curtain came down on his illustrious career at Wembley.

The 40-year-old keeper has not made any definite plans with regards to staying in football and is taking a well-earned break to consider his options.

“Of course I think about things and the main thing is to try to get some space and probably get away from football a little bit,” he told UEFA.com. “Do some other interests like play golf, take some long holidays with the family and spend more time with the kids.

“I want to do ordinary things as we’re so focused on training and staying in hotels, we have to eat properly and can’t do any dangerous sports like skiing or riding a motorbike. Maybe it’s the simple things.”

When asked how he would like to be remembered in the game, the Dutchman was typically modest.

“I think I’ll leave that to them,” he answered. “The only thing I can do is do my best on the pitch and try to be a good role model for children with the way I play.

“Hopefully they appreciate it and some kids think: ‘Okay, I want to be a goalkeeper’. With a little bit of dedication, they have to enjoy their football, I hope they can achieve something that they like.”