Former Manchester United shot stopper Edwin van der Sar has backed his fellow countryman Louis van Gaal to return the Premier League trophy back home.
The 44-year-old made the number one jersey his own between 2005 and 2011, and is labelled as one of the club’s greatest ever goalkeepers. Often tipped to be on the level of Peter Schmeichel or the great Alex Stepney, van der Sar believes the manager will have a shot at silverware next season.
Thanks to the formations and tactical displays of Louis van Gaal, his side have currently gone six games unbeaten as they prepare to head to Stamford Bridge on Saturday, tasked with the monumental challenge of league leaders Chelsea.
The Blues look to have secured the Premier League title in Jose Mourinho’s first season following his return. Victory for the Red Devils would see them climb within just five points of the West Londoners, but Chelsea still possess a game in hand and remain considerable favourites to be crowned champions of England.
“With a little bit of luck, they [United] could have done that this season, but for Chelsea winning a lot of those games with late goals – but let’s hope so,” the former goalkeeper said.
“Believing in the philosophy of Louis, at the start of the new season, I think he can bring the club back to the place where it belongs.”
The statement from the Dutchman comes after van Gaal revealed he had started planning his summer signings back in January, with Nathaniel Clyne, Mats Hummels and Kevin Strootman just three of the names linked to a transfer to the Theatre of Dreams.
Van der Sar collected four Premier League medals during his time with Manchester United, and now believes the Manchester outfits revival could be boosted even further in the summer.
“It’s been a good turnaround for the club and, if they can hold on to that third place, it’s a great position to then maybe strengthen in a couple of areas of the team,” he added.
Edwin van der Sar currently holds the worldwide league record, keeping a clean sheet for 1,311 minutes during the 2008/09 campaign.
