Edwin van der Sar hospital updates — Ajax releases new statement on Man United legend who suffered brain haemorrhage

What trophies did Edwin van der Sar win?

Edwin van der Sar is one of the most successful players in Manchester United’s history.

Throughout his career, he won almost every honour a player can achieve.

These include:

• 1X UEFA Cup winner
• 4X Community Shield winner
• 2X Champions League winner
• 1X Club World Cup winner
• 4X English Premier League winner
• 1X UEFA Super Cup winner
• 2X League Cup winner
• 4X Dutch Champion
• 3X Dutch Cup winner
• 3X Dutch Super Cup winner
• 1X Intercontinental Cup winner

Time with Fulham

Van der Sar chose to play in England and signed a four-year contract with newly promoted Fulham in a shock move worth £7million on August 1, 2001.

Fulham formally revealed Van der Sar the next day.

On August 18, 2001, he made his league debut in a 3-2 away loss to Manchester United.

During his time with Fulham, he made 127 league appearances. In his final season with the club, he saved two penalties from Juan Pablo Ángel in a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa.

His achievements for the Cottagers drew the attention of Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson.

When did Annemarie van Kesteren suffer from cerebral haemorrhage?

In December 2009, Edwin was given compassionate leave by Manchester United to be by his wife’s side after she suffered a brain haemorrhage.

At the time, Annemarie’s condition was described as “very poorly” after collapsing on December 23, aged 36.

Annemarie spent three weeks in the hospital.

Speaking about that period of her life, Annemarie said: ”After my brain hemorrhage, I had to relearn many things; talk, walk, plan.

”Even the most mundane things suddenly became a huge challenge.”

Who is Edwin van der Sar's wife Annemarie van Kesteren?

Edwin van der Sar married Annemarie Van Kesteren in May 2006, in a ceremony that took place in Amsterdam.

Annemarie, who suffered a brain haemorrhage in 2009, is a founder of the Edwin van der Sar Foundation, alongside her husband.

The foundation is committed to supporting people with brain injuries.

In January 2021, the Edwin van der Sar Foundation and the Brain Foundation joined forces.

Both Annemarie and Edwin remain closely involved with both foundations.

Aside from sharing her health journey with the public, not much else is known about Annemarie, with the football stars wife appearing to prefer keeping her private life out of the spotlight.

Edwin is the oldest player to win the Premier League

The Man United legend is the oldest player to have ever won the Premier League at 40 years and 205 days in 2011.

It was his final season for Man United and his last league match was against Blackpool.

The Red Devils won that game 4-2 and saw Blackpool relegated from the Premier League.

Manuel Neuer on how Edwin van der Sar was his inspiration

The German goalkeeper is considered one of the best in the world having had a successful career full of silverware – and gold – with his national team and Bayern Munich.

However, he doesn’t take full credit for his style and ability as he once revealed that Edwin van der Sar is the goalkeeper that truly inspired him and others after.

He told France Football in 2015 about the evolution of the goalkeeper position: “I don’t think I was the main protagonist. 

“One of the very first to bring a new touch was Edwin Van der Sar, who played a lot with his feet and allowed the post to enter a new dimension. 

“I was inspired by his style of play. I really appreciated Ajax’s philosophy by watching videos or following their matches.”

Coming out of retirement for 2010 World Cup qualification

To prepare for the 2010 World Cup campaign – which saw the Netherlands reach the final and lose to Spain – the Dutch side appointed Bert can Marwijk as new coach.

During the qualification phase, both Maarten Stekelenburg and Henk Timmer were made unavailable because of injuries and so Edwin van der Sar came out of retirement to play against Iceland and Norway.

The goalkeeper kept a clean sheet in both matches which the Netherlands won and earned van der Sar his 130th cap in the clash against Norway in Oslo.

This made him the most capped Dutch player until Wesley Sneijder broke his record in 2017.

Retiring after Euro 2008

As the Netherlands were building up to the Euros 2008, Edwin van der Sar was interviewed by Radio 538 on his 37th birthday, where he confirmed that he’ll be retiring from international football after the tournament.

The goalkeeper was key in the Netherlands’ win against Italy and France during the tournament but it all came to an end when they were defeated 3-1 against Russia in the quarter final.

In that tournament, he equalled Lilian Thuram’s record of 16 caps in the European Championship.

Reaching milestones at the 2006 World Cup

Going into the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Edwin van der Sar was on a clean sheet streak.

It ended during the second group stage match against Cote d’Ivoire – which the Netherlands won 2-1.

Edwin reached a personal milestone with the national team when he overtook Frank de Boer’s record for all-time caps with the Netherlands during the Round of 16 match against Portugal.

Unfortunately, celebrations were halted as a goal from Maniche ended the Dutch hopes for a world title.

So close yet so far in the Euro 2004

The Netherlands were close to the final in the Euro 2004.

A penalty safe from Edwin van der Sar ensured that the Netherlands win the shootout 5-4 against Sweden and advance to the semi-finals.

However, now they had to play Portugal – the host country – who had a young Cristiano Ronaldo on the verge of becoming the greatest footballer in the world.

It was over once again for van der Sar and the Netherlands and they just had to hope that they’d do better at the 2006 World Cup.

Euro 2000 disrupted by injuries

Edwin van der Sar returned to the Dutch national team for the Euro 2000 and they were looking strong.

He started the first two group matches but then suffered an injury in the closing stages of their 3-0 win against Denmark and was replaced by Sander Westerveld.

Despite this, the Netherlands still secured a place in the next stages and Edwin was back between the nets for the quarter final.

He was still not 100% and was substituted at the 65th minute by Westerveld again, however, the Netherlands were secure with a 4-0 lead over Yugoslavia.

Edwin was back in top form for the semi-final against Italy.

It was a hard fought match against a strong Italian side as it went to penalties.

The Dutch players failed to find the energy to keep pushing for a place in the final, as they only scored one of four penalty kicks.

Meanwhile, Edwin did everything he could as he saved a shot from Italian captain and legend Paolo Maldini, but it wasn’t enough to see them contest for the title.

Edwin van der Sar finished that tournament without conceding a single goal, however, he was still left out of the Team of the Tournament as critics went with France’s Fabien Barthez and Italy’s Francesco Toldo.

The footballing rivalry between Argentina and the Netherlands

The World Cup in Qatar showcased a heated match between Argentina and the Netherlands and it can be said that these two countries have become massive rivals in footballing terms throughout the years.

It was nothing different back in Edwin’s first World Cup in 1998 when he had a slight argument with Ariel Ortega in their clash against Argentina in the quarter finals.

The goalkeeper confronted Ortega after he received a yellow card for diving in the penalty area.

Ortega reacted by headbutting Van der Sar, seeing him get sent off.

Van der Sar recovered from the headbutt, got up and saw Dennis Bergkamp lead the Netherlands to victory with a score of 2-1.

Looking at Edwin’s international career

Edwin van der Sar played for the Dutch national team alongside some massive stars such as Frank and Ronald De Boer, Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Kluivert and Clarence Seedorf.

However, he never won any silverware despite his appearances in severel World Cup and Euros tournaments.

He made his international debut against Belarus on June 7, 1995, and his first official tournament was the 1998 World Cup.

The Netherlands were very close to making it to the final, however, a strong Brazilian side eliminated them in a penalty shootout with a score of 4-2 after they finished the 1-1 after 90 minutes and extra time.

Manchester United send message of support to Van der Sar

Following the news that Edwin van der Sar was in hospital, Manchester United sent a message of support to the former club goalkeeper.

Taking to Twitter, the Red Devils said: "Sending all our love and strength to you, Edwin."

Reports today suggest the former United star is in stable condition.

What did Edwin van der Sar say when he left Ajax?

Earlier this year Edwin van der Sar ended his 11-year role on the Ajax board and shared an emotional statement to fans.

He said: “After almost 11 years on the board, I am done. We have experienced wonderful things together, but it has also been an incredibly tough period … I feel the need to take some distance, to get some rest, and to do other things.”

Fans send in their support

After hearing the news of Van der Sar’s hospitalisation, fans have flocked to Twitter to send shows of support.

One wrote: ''Sending prayers and love to Edwin Van der Sar during this time. The #Legend.''

Another added: ''Sending my love to the family of footballing Icon Edwin Van Der Sar, after the Dutch legend suffered a brain haemorrhage on holiday in Croatia. Praying that he recovers.''

While a third penned: ''Incredibly sad news to hear that Edwin Van Der Sar is in intensive care. Wishing him a speedy recovery, get well soon Edwin.''

Who are Edwin van der Sar's children?

Manchester United legend Edwin van der Sar has two children with his wife Annemarie van Kestere.

Both Joe and Lynn are adults now.

The football star's son has previously played for the Pittsburgh Panthers.

Teams Van der Sar has represented

Throughout his time as a successful goalkeeper, van der Sars has seen a variety of teams.

Here is a list of each of the teams he has represented:

• Ajax
• Juventus
• Fulham
• Manchester United
• Dutch national team

How many goals did Edwin van der Sar score?

Most goalkeepers aren't exactly known for their goal-scoring abilities and Edwin van der Sar certainly stuck with that trend.

The Manchester United legend scored one goal in his long career, a penalty while playing for Ajax.

He was more highly regarded for his ability to keep the ball out of the net, with the Dutch star being one of the country's most decorated players.

Looking at Edwin’s international career

Edwin van der Sar played for the Dutch national team alongside some massive stars such as Frank and Ronald De Boer, Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Kluivert and Clarence Seedorf.

However, he never won any silverware despite his appearances in severel World Cup and Euros tournaments.

He made his international debut against Belarus on June 7, 1995, and his first official tournament was the 1998 World Cup.

The Netherlands were very close to making it to the final, however, a strong Brazilian side eliminated them in a penalty shootout with a score of 4-2 after they finished the 1-1 after 90 minutes and extra time.

Awards Van der Sar has received

Throughout his years as goalkeeper, Van der Sar has won a fair number of awards, including:

• UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year award in 2009.
• The Dutch Golden Shoe in 1998
• The Dutch Football Goalkeeper of the Year award in 1995
• The Best European Goalkeeper Award in 1995
• The Barclays Merit Award Awards in 2008
• The Barclays Golden Glove Awards in 2009 

Edwin van der Sar 'greeting' people after brain haemorrhage

Edwin van der Sar is in a stable condition and even "greeting" visitors, a new report has claimed.

The Manchester United legend is currently being held in a Croatian hospital but doctors believe he will recover, 24 Sata reports.

Time with Fulham

Van der Sar chose to play in England and signed a four-year contract with newly promoted Fulham in a shock move worth £7million on August 1, 2001.

Fulham formally revealed Van der Sar the next day.

On August 18, 2001, he made his league debut in a 3-2 away loss to Manchester United.

During his time with Fulham, he made 127 league appearances. In his final season with the club, he saved two penalties from Juan Pablo Ángel in a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa.

His achievements for the Cottagers drew the attention of Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson.

How many times did he play for the Netherlands?

Edwin van der Sar earned 130 caps for the Dutch national team during his career.

The legendary goalkeeper also made 266 appearances for Manchester United, winning four Premier League titles along the way.