Man Utd Legend Snubs Sir Alex Ferguson to Leave Gary Neville Stunned

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar rates Louis van Gaal as the best manager he played under, thus snubbing the iconic Sir Alex Ferguson, much to Gary Neville’s surprise.

Van der Sar, who appeared on last week’s edition of Monday Night Football as the Red Devils beat Everton 1–0, also featured on The Overlap’s YouTube channel and took part in a “Quickfire questions” video hosted by Neville.

The Dutchman was quizzed on light-hearted topics such as his favorite movie (which we never found out!) and the ultimate Dutch five-a-side team, having picked ex-PSV Eindhoven striker Romário as his trickiest ever opponent.

Perhaps the biggest talking point, certainly in Neville‘s eyes, was Van der Sar’s high regard for Van Gaal, with Neville seemingly assuming that he’d pick Ferguson, seen by many as the greatest soccer manager ever.

Van der Sar spent six years at United with the Scot in charge, yet the 55-year-old’s compatriot reigns supreme in his eyes.

Van der Sar Rates Van Gaal as Best Manager He Played Under

The nature of the video meant Van der Sar couldn’t delve too deep into his adoration for Van Gaal, refusing to blink, quite literally, when Neville pushed back by bringing up Ferguson.

There wasn’t much of an explanation, but Van der Sar’s bullishness about his former Ajax manager is long-standing. Back in 2014, when Man Utd were on the brink of hiring Van Gaal, he told the Daily Mirror that “Louis van Gaal is the best manager I have ever played for.”

The ex-shot stopper understandably has a lot of affection for Van Gaal, who handed Van der Sar his senior Ajax debut in 1990. The towering goalkeeper was the man between the posts as Van Gaal’s babyfaced outfit claimed Champions League glory in 1995, downing Fabio Capello’s AC Milan 1–0 in the final thanks to a Patrick Kluivert goal.

Van der Sar then endured a torrid time during a two-year spell with Juventus, but restored his reputation in the Premier League, first with Fulham, then Man Utd. The Red Devils had been stuck in post-Peter Schmeichel purgatory at the start of the century, and Van der Sar wasn’t expected to be a long-term savior when he rocked up at Old Trafford as a 34-year-old veteran.

But he instead spent more than half a decade as Ferguson’s No. 1, claiming the Premier League’s Golden Glove award in 2008–09 and lifting four league titles. His relationship with the Scot was strong throughout his time in Manchester, and Van der Sar has spoken glowingly of his former Man Utd manager, telling BBC Sport in 2011 that Ferguson was “the best thing that could’ve happened to the club 25 years ago.”

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