He was always just... there. Standing nearly two meters tall, lean as a rail, and looking more like a university professor than a guy who survived the bruising penalty boxes of the 90s. Edwin van der Sar didn't scream. He didn't do the wild, theatrical dives that make for great slow-motion replays but usually mean a keeper was out of position.
Honestly, he was boringly good.
But if you think his story ended when he hung up the gloves in 2011, you've missed the most intense decade of his life. From transforming Ajax into a European powerhouse again to a terrifying brush with death in 2023, the man they called "The Skyscraper" has lived through enough drama to fill three lifetimes. Even now in early 2026, as he prepares for "An Evening with Edwin van der Sar" in Manchester this February, the football world is still trying to figure out how one guy redefined the most stressful job on the pitch.
The Goalkeeper Who Wasn't Supposed to be a Sweeper
Most people credit Manuel Neuer with inventing the "sweeper-keeper" role. That's kinda wrong. Long before Neuer was venturing out of his box, Louis van Gaal was screaming at a young Edwin van der Sar at Ajax to use his feet.
It was 1995. Ajax was taking over the world with a bunch of kids. Van der Sar wasn't just stopping shots; he was the first line of attack. He played like a midfielder who just happened to be allowed to use his hands. This was a revolution. Before him, goalkeepers were basically shot-stoppers who hoofed the ball as far as possible. Van der Sar changed the geometry of the game.
He made it look easy. Too easy, sometimes.
When he moved to Juventus in 1999, things got weird. He was the first non-Italian to ever be their primary keeper, and the "Old Lady" of Italian football didn't really know what to do with a guy who wanted to play out from the back. It was a rare stumble in a career that usually looked like a vertical line up. They eventually replaced him with Gianluigi Buffon, which, let's be fair, is like being replaced by a Ferrari.
Then came the Fulham years. Four years in West London. A lot of people thought he was "done" or just chilling by the Thames. But Sir Alex Ferguson was watching. He later called not signing Van der Sar sooner one of his biggest mistakes. When he finally got to Manchester United in 2005, the "Ice Rabbit" didn't just fill the gap left by Peter Schmeichel; he cemented a dynasty.
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That 1,311-Minute Wall
Numbers in football can be dry. But 1,311 minutes? That’s over 14 consecutive games without letting in a single goal. It’s a Premier League record that still feels fake.
During the 2008-09 season, playing behind Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidić, Van der Sar became a literal ghost. Teams didn't even look like they believed they could score. It wasn't just luck. It was his obsession with positioning. He’d make "a stretch in a stretch," a phrase he used to describe those fingertip saves that look impossible.
And then there was Moscow. 2008. The Champions League final.
Everyone remembers John Terry slipping in the rain. But the real moment was Van der Sar staring down Nicolas Anelka in the shootout. He didn't just guess; he pointed to the corner he knew Anelka would go. He got into his head. That save didn't just win a trophy; it validated his entire philosophy of goalkeeping as a mental game rather than a physical one.
The Executive Stress and the 2023 Scare
Life after the pitch was supposed to be calmer. It wasn't. Van der Sar went back to Ajax, eventually becoming CEO. He wasn't a figurehead. He was the guy making the calls, selling players like Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt for astronomical fees, and trying to keep the Ajax DNA alive.
It was exhausting.
By May 2023, he was "done." He resigned, citing the need to take distance and rest. But "rest" turned into a nightmare just a few months later. While on holiday in Split, Croatia, he suffered a brain hemorrhage.
The football world stopped.
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For two weeks, he was in intensive care. His wife, Annemarie—who had survived her own brain hemorrhage years earlier in 2009—was by his side. It was a cruel, poetic irony. But the Skyscraper held firm. By late 2023, he was back on his feet, and by 2025, he was talking about a "peaceful life" involving cycling and padel.
Edwin van der Sar in 2026: What's Next?
So, where is he now?
He’s currently 55. He looks healthy. He’s been popping up in interviews recently, jokingly picking himself as the greatest keeper of all time when asked by media outlets. But behind the jokes, there’s a man who has found a new perspective. He’s not rushing back to a high-pressure boardroom.
He's currently scheduled for a massive fan event in Manchester on February 6, 2026. People are already speculating if he’ll eventually take a role at United under the new INEOS regime. He’s left the door open, though he’s clearly enjoying the lack of a ringing phone.
What can we actually learn from his career?
- Longevity is about adaptation. He won the Premier League at 40 years old. He didn't do that by being the fastest; he did it by being the smartest.
- Mental health matters in retirement. His exit from Ajax was a brave admission of burnout. Even legends get tired.
- The "Modern Keeper" started with him. Every time you see a keeper pass the ball through the lines today, you're seeing a bit of Edwin.
If you're a young athlete or just someone trying to stay at the top of your game for decades, look at his transition. He moved from the physical demands of the pitch to the corporate demands of the office, and eventually realized that neither is worth your life.
Keep an eye on the Manchester event in February. If he signals a return to football management, it won't be because he needs the work. It'll be because he's finally found the balance he was looking for when he stepped away from Amsterdam. Basically, he's still the master of his own box.
To really understand his impact, go back and watch the 2008 final. Don't watch the goals. Watch how he talks to his defenders. Watch how he stays on his toes for 120 minutes in the pouring rain. That's the blueprint.
Follow his upcoming speaking tour dates to hear the man himself break down the Moscow night—it’s probably the closest most of us will ever get to seeing how an "Ice Rabbit" thinks.