Manchester United legend Edwin van der Sar has revealed details about the brain hemorrhage he endured in 2023 and how he is living a quieter life now. The Dutch goalkeeper arrived at Old Trafford in the summer of 2005 and caught his eye while playing for the newly promoted Fulham.
Van Del Sal quickly established himself as Ir Alex Ferguson’s number one shot stopper, providing exceptional performance. He remained a custodian for the Red Devils until 2011, with over 250 appearances. During his tenure, he secured four Premier League titles and lifted the Champions League trophy. After resigning 14 years ago, Vander Saar made a short singles match comeback in 2016 for his childhood team VV Noordwijk, and later served as an executive at Ajax. However, in July 2023, he was rushed to intensive care in Croatia after a cerebral hemorrhage and remained hospitalized for two weeks.
Van der Saar now offers insight into the horrifying experiences and acknowledges that his life has changed dramatically for positivity. Speaking to Gazzetta Dero Sports, he said: “Are I afraid of dying? Let’s be honest, no.
“I was quickly saved. The ambulance took me straight to the hospital, where the best doctors looked after me. When I got home, my family and the physical therapist were always there.
“My life is so calm now, my phone is constantly ringing, and I have to make important decisions and support my team and manager.
The 54-year-old was initially admitted to intensive care after bleeding around his brain while on vacation in Split. He was later moved to his home country where he continued treatment and was released two weeks later.
In Ajax’s Netherlands, Van der Sar began his football journey after being taken to the spare side by former unit head coach Louis Van Gaal. He won the Dutch football goalkeeper of the year in his first full season in Amsterdam, and after years of service he found himself tied to overseas moves.
But things could have been quite different for Van der Sar. He admits that it was one of the options Liverpool had when he left Ajax in 1999, but chose Juventus instead.
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“I had two options, Liverpool and Juventus. I spoke to both clubs and my heart was led to Italy,” continued van der Sal. “Serie A was the best league of the year. I was intrigued by the idea of playing for the team that legendary goalkeeper (Dino) Zoff made his mark.
“Do you regret it? No. I didn’t play the best football, but criticism is part of the game. Living and playing in Italy was still a great experience. We arrived in the summer. Our teammates always took me to dinner. The food in the restaurant in Turin was fantastic.
