Top 97 Edwin van der Sar Quotes December 19, 2020 by Krista Aniston Leave a Comment “It’s always best if you can leave with a good memory.”― Edwin van der Sar“You hope to bring your ‘A Game’ to any game, and of course you do in a final. You hope to bring experience, fitness, communication skills, motivational skills.”― Edwin van der Sar“It is almost impossible to orchestrate the farewell you desire. That is something only a few people manage to do.”― Edwin van der Sar“As a goalkeeper, you always expect every team to give you nightmares.”― Edwin van der Sar“Every flaw you have or lapse of concentration can cost you a goal, so you have to be on your toes every minute of the game.”― Edwin van der Sar“I know I’m a good goalkeeper.”― Edwin van der Sar“You want to build your own team for the highest level, and that happens more with teams that stay together.”― Edwin van der Sar“I’m not going back to Amsterdam, though it would be very comfortable there with Frank de Boer, Danny Blind, and Dennis Bergkamp. When I left 12 years ago, I said I would return, but I did not know then what great years I would have with Manchester United. I might occasionally visit training with them, but I will not be going regularly.”― Edwin van der Sar“Personally, I don’t think about the things I have won but the things I have lost.”― Edwin van der Sar“Nothing can replicate the thrill of making a great save at an away ground, or hearing your own fans cheering you, or the atmosphere when you score a goal or win a big game.”― Edwin van der Sar“You don’t need only your strikers. You need your defenders to be on top of their game. You need a midfield to work hard and track back, and I suppose you need a goalkeeper who makes saves once in a while.”― Edwin van der Sar“I’m just not very rock n’ roll.”― Edwin van der Sar“The Dutch league is not one of the strongest five leagues in the world, or even Europe, and that’s why it is difficult to maintain.”― Edwin van der Sar“Ajax has always been about homegrown players developed in a small country.”― Edwin van der Sar“It’s great to have people talking about the club again, to reinvent and get to know Ajax again.”― Edwin van der Sar“I get great respect from the United fans and the directors and the people who are there still when you go there. It is a very warm club, very comparable to Ajax, only they have grown internationally amazingly.”― Edwin van der Sar“You try and learn from clubs where you have been or actions clubs are taking to grow in certain markets, and that, for myself, is also important.”― Edwin van der Sar“I went to Fulham for the project they explained to me – but it didn’t really work out. I might have been playing at a high level for the national team, but I was starting to miss those European nights and challenging for titles.”― Edwin van der Sar“At certain times, you start to – maybe not lose the faith – but just wonder how long it will take until someone picks me up. I was thinking, ‘Is it just me? Do I think I’m better than any manager does?’”― Edwin van der Sar“Diehards know what Ajax is about, but you always need a new following, and if you are not successful, it is difficult.”― Edwin van der Sar“As a goalkeeper, I needed good players around me. I needed Nemanja Vidic, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Wayne Rooney. It’s the same as a CEO.”― Edwin van der Sar“If you have a love for sport, everybody knows the success of Madrid in the ’60s, Ajax in the ’70s, Bayern Munich, and so on.”― Edwin van der Sar“A lot of clubs have lost the perspective of what is a football club.”― Edwin van der Sar“For us at Ajax, it is all about football.”― Edwin van der Sar“Personally, I would never criticise a player in public.”― Edwin van der Sar“I’ve never had the experience of 10 years at Unilever and five years at Coca Cola. But I’m not the marketing director who only wants 25 per cent a year on the revenues. In the old days, you sold something, and you would be happy. At Ajax, we thought we needed more from that than selling a seat and making five grand.”― Edwin van der Sar“We accept that, in one way now, if you are 27, 28 and still playing for Ajax, you are probably not good enough for the top of Europe because players want to go to the top in Europe.”― Edwin van der Sar“If I see something right, I say so.”― Edwin van der Sar“I don’t think there was a single United player from 2009 who could say he gave it everything and played well.”― Edwin van der Sar“I signed for Ajax in 1989 when I was still at school.”― Edwin van der Sar“A lot of the guys who played in the 1995 final for Ajax had been there since the age of 12 or 13. Patrick Kluivert and Edgar Davids had been there from age seven or eight, so I had a lot of catching up to do.”― Edwin van der Sar“I was in two successive European finals early in my career, so initially, you think that sort of thing is going to happen regularly. Then suddenly, it dries up, and before you know it, 13 years have passed before you get your next chance.”― Edwin van der Sar“Sometimes I miss European football.”― Edwin van der Sar“Every time I hear that Champions League song, it reminds me of hearing it for the first time in the old Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam.”― Edwin van der Sar“If you go to Juventus, you want to go for longer than two years, and you want to win titles.”― Edwin van der Sar“I remember, when I was 24, I said 34 was going to be the limit I will play to. But as everyone says, the older you get, the longer you want to go on because it gives you so much satisfaction.”― Edwin van der Sar“I accept that I didn’t play very well in Italy for the two years. It was lower than my Ajax standard. I don’t know why.”― Edwin van der Sar“You know you’re in for a tough time if you’re trailing and the other teams are doing well.”― Edwin van der Sar“If you win, everyone asks what’s your secret, when most of the time you did exactly the same in the ones you lost.”― Edwin van der Sar“Craven Cottage is a great stadium, really traditional, going through the rows of houses until a stadium suddenly appears.”― Edwin van der Sar“I always said I wanted to finish my career back at Ajax, but I didn’t think I was going to play for so long at such a high level, so that’s not going to happen now.”― Edwin van der Sar“Of course that’s Ajax development, giving young players a chance.”― Edwin van der Sar“When you see Sir Alex arguing with referees and linesmen, he is showing passion that has taken him to the very highest level of the game.”― Edwin van der Sar“When I see the kind of passion Sir Alex shows, it is hard to believe he is about to celebrate his 71st birthday.”― Edwin van der Sar“I think every player gives a bit extra when he sees that his manager is fighting, too.”― Edwin van der Sar“I remember that, often, Mike Phelan would just nip down to the touchline for a message to one or two players. It was usually just a tactical thing. But when Sir Alex comes to the touchline, all the players know that it’s serious stuff.”― Edwin van der Sar“Matthijs is very mature for his age: he has the physique of a 24-year-old. He is also strong with both feet, has an extremely good range of passing, can head the ball, scores goals, and is a real leader at the back already at the age of 18.”― Edwin van der Sar“Off the field, Ronaldo was also focusing on everything extensively, such as resting up properly and strengthening his body. After training sessions, he would often work on his free-kicks and then come to me and say, ‘Edwin, can you go in goal?’”― Edwin van der Sar“Celtic and Ajax are great names in history. They both have great followings all over the world, not just in Holland and Scotland.”― Edwin van der Sar“United is a special place.”― Edwin van der Sar“The FA Cup is the oldest cup competition in the world. Players are keen and willing to play in these games.”― Edwin van der Sar“I think England’s always good at making something special.”― Edwin van der Sar“I can’t sleep at night when I think about the FA Cup!”― Edwin van der Sar“It’s hard for the older boys to play twice a week, so it’s important for everyone in the squad to play their part.”― Edwin van der Sar“I have won things in my career, and people ask why that’s not enough. But there can always be more.”― Edwin van der Sar“It’s always difficult if you’re coming into a new club and new league, especially the English one. It’s a very demanding one, can be a very tough one.”― Edwin van der Sar“I share a special bond with Ajax. I think we are a special club. And we’re known for our philosophy around the world.”― Edwin van der Sar“At Ajax, we have a certain philosophy that is sometimes more important than winning – the development of players.”― Edwin van der Sar“We want to bring our own players through. That is what people like about Ajax.”― Edwin van der Sar“United is a much bigger challenge than Ajax. They’re not just a big and famous club but also a worldwide brand, yet when you’re inside, it’s still a family place.”― Edwin van der Sar“I think there are always a lot of rumours about players from Ajax. We develop great players, not only in Amsterdam but hopefully also in Cape Town, and there is interest in a lot of our players, but we like to keep them for as long as possible.”― Edwin van der Sar“I am not worried about being a legend, like Solskjaer; you do your bit, and that’s what counts.”― Edwin van der Sar“As a striker, all you want to do is score.”― Edwin van der Sar“The leagues in the countries around us are probably more interesting and played at a higher level, but in general, we are happy with the way we have moved things forward with Ajax, together with Marc Overmars as technical director, to establish a squad that can compete at the highest level.”― Edwin van der Sar“If you are in the Premier League or at Barcelona, Real Madrid, or Bayern Munich, you are at an end station.”― Edwin van der Sar“You see the strength of the Spanish league, the Premier League, Germany, France, and Italy. The TV revenues are so much higher in those countries.”― Edwin van der Sar“I am 40 years old, but I still feel fit.”― Edwin van der Sar“My career record was 5-2 in penalty shootouts.”― Edwin van der Sar“Playing is the biggest thing there is.”― Edwin van der Sar“Running a marathon is unlike anything I have done. You can recall all those bad weights sessions or the work you had to do in pre-season, but marathon running is worse than any of it, probably the hardest thing I have had to do in my entire life.”― Edwin van der Sar“We need a solution for European football. You need to help smaller clubs in European competitions get the right distribution of money so they can invest in coaches and attract talent for the level they can play at.”― Edwin van der Sar“All things evolve, and European football needs to evolve as well.”― Edwin van der Sar“Ajax always bring through young players from their academy – we can’t pay â¬20m for a player, so we make sure we develop those players and give them the opportunity to play.”― Edwin van der Sar“It’s hard to put your faith in youngsters, but Ajax have always done that.”― Edwin van der Sar“When I was 18, I never expected to be what I was – you hope to make your debut, to play for the national team, and I want to achieve something similar off the pitch to what I did on the pitch.”― Edwin van der Sar“For everyone, the World Cup is important. It doesn’t matter if you are 21, going for your first one, or 35 and going for your third one. It’s the biggest stage you can play on, and every opportunity to experience it is something special.”― Edwin van der Sar“The most time players get off is during the international breaks.”― Edwin van der Sar“I’m always quite rational.”― Edwin van der Sar“When I was younger, I thought I would finish in my mid-30s because that is normal for most players.”― Edwin van der Sar“Coming to Old Trafford gave me a new lease of life.”― Edwin van der Sar“I’ve been the captain at Ajax and once for the national team – it’s nice and makes you an important player.”― Edwin van der Sar“When I left Ajax in 1999, I travelled to Liverpool and spoke to Houllier. I was shown around Anfield and also met with the chairman and a couple of the players. I thought about it, but when Juventus came to the table, I came to the conclusion that it would be a bigger challenge to play in Italy.”― Edwin van der Sar“Being at Manchester United is a great way to play at the highest level and win trophies with a team that is very closely knitted together.”― Edwin van der Sar“It’s always hard the moment you decide to stop playing. It doesn’t matter if you’re at a small club or a big club: it’s the end of your playing career, so that’s always going to be a big moment for any player.”― Edwin van der Sar“You have to get your motivation from within, and it doesn’t matter if you lose in the quarters, the semis, or the final. You must want to have another chance of winning the trophy.”― Edwin van der Sar“You get confidence when you get on a roll. When you are not struggling, and you get your players back, it is bound to make everyone feel better about themselves.”― Edwin van der Sar“It doesn’t matter whether it is your first game or your last game: you want to win.”― Edwin van der Sar“I didn’t find it hard to settle at United because there was a great bunch of players, great staff, and a good atmosphere at the club.”― Edwin van der Sar“I don’t hate the idea of retirement. I am looking forward to it.”― Edwin van der Sar“Everybody doubts themselves. Every writer doubts themselves, every artist doubts himself, and every football player does.”― Edwin van der Sar“I want to finish at the top, playing well.”― Edwin van der Sar“I will miss football.”― Edwin van der Sar“Jean Tigana wants to go to the top with Fulham, and I like that ambition.”― Edwin van der Sar“At Ajax, Juventus, and with Holland, I have played with top teams, and now I want to use my experience to reach the same goal with Fulham.”― Edwin van der Sar“I am delighted to have signed for Manchester United, one of the most famous clubs in the world.”― Edwin van der Sar“I would like Ajax to be people’s favourite second team. Like in Spain, if you are a Real Madrid fan, then you can’t be a Barcelona supporter. It’s the same in Italy. But you can be an Ajax fan.”― Edwin van der Sar“I think, on one end, we need to understand that goalkeeping is an art and is also a very important position to have in your club.”― Edwin van der Sar
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