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It
was confirmed this week that Dutch goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar will retire at
the end of this season at the age of 40-years-old. While the former Ajax and
Fulham goalkeeper is still very much Manchester United’s number one ‘keeper for
this season, speculation is already building regarding a replacement. Here, I
run through who has been tipped to join United and who I think will eventually
be between the sticks for the Red Devils.
Maarten
Stekelenburg
The
current Ajax ‘keeper took over from Van der Sar as goalkeeper for the Dutch
national team after he retired from international football. Stekelenburg, who
is thought to be the favourite to join United at the end of the season, has
made over 180 appearances for Ajax after being coming out of the youth system
in 2001. The 28-year-old has, to date, made thirty-four appearances for Holland
and the ‘keeper, who stands at 6 ft. 6in, has performed well on the big stage
after being part of the Dutch team who reached the World Cup final last summer.
Manuel
Neuer
Neuer
may be younger and therefore more of a risk for Sir Alex Ferguson to take but,
having already made 141 appearances in the Bundesliga for Schalke and
established himself as Germany’s first choice goalkeeper, the Schalke youth
product could well be United’s preferred move. Neuer has apparently modelled
himself on former-Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann.
Pepe
Reina
A
highly unlikely move but with Liverpool seemingly spiralling out of control at
the moment it would not be a surprise if Reina, one of Liverpool’s best
players, were to leave the Anfield club. The rivalry between United and
Liverpool will obviously act as a sticking point but Reina’s distribution and
ability with his feet as well as his hands could make him a target Sir Alex.
David
De Gea
De
Gea is another young ‘keeper who has been tipped to join a major European side
in the near future. The 20-year-old currently plays for Atletico Madrid and has
particularly impressed in the last couple of seasons, making thirty-six
appearances for the club he started his career with. De Gea is a slightly
smaller yet agile ‘keeper and is certainly one to look out for in the future.
Igor
Akinfeev
The
Russian goalkeeper is captain of CSKA Moscow and, at the tender age of
twenty-five, has made almost 200 appearances for the club whom he rose up
through the youth ranks with. Akinfeev, who stands at 6ft. 1in. tall, was
widely tipped as the best young goalkeeper when he broke into the CSKA side at
the age of seventeen and, although a move has never materialised, he has been
first-choice ‘keeper at the club ever since and has made nearly fifty
appearances for Russia. He’s an outsider but his experience of playing at the
top level with a big club (Akinfeev won the UEFA Cup in 2005 as well as eleven
Russian trophies since 2003) could force United to consider the ‘keeper in
their search.
When
Peter Schmeichel left United in 1999, Ferguson was left a little in the lurch
as he was forced to find a new goalkeeper. With Van der Sar ready to leave at
the end of the season it looks as though Ferguson doesn’t want to make the same
mistake again and, with Stekelenburg, De Gea and Neuer already installed as
favourites, it may not be too long before the number one jersey is taken once
again. The signing of a new goalkeeper will almost certainly mean
that Thomasz Kuszczak, who for a long time was seen as Van der Sar’s eventual
replacement, will leave the club in search of first team football. This will
leave youngster Ben Amos and new signing Anders
Lindegaard as the reserve ‘keepers.
This article
originally appeared on sports website Sports Haze but is now unavailable due to
the site closing down.
Picture from supermf
