Edwin van der Sar profile

Although he is now in the veteran stage of his career, van der Sar's form has not dipped and he will almost certainly take the number one jersey at the finals.

"He is laid-back by nature but he also has a presence. His personality and his experience show through. There is a calming influence, a reassurance, about him that is just what we require."
Sir Alex Ferguson

Van der Sar has proved to be one of the world's top keepers during spells with Ajax, Juventus, Fulham and now Manchester United but it was only a freak accident that handed him his chance.

The keeper was understudy to Stanley Menzo at Ajax and there seemed little chance of him breaking into the team, but a goalkeeping blunder of epic proportions by Menzo against Auxerre in the 1992-93 season handed him his chance.

Then Ajax boss Louis van Gaal dropped Menzo in favour of van der Sar and the Voorhout-born shot-stopper never looked back.

Domestic and European honours followed with Ajax, including a UEFA Champions League title, before he joined Juventus in 1999.

Despite arriving with a huge reputation, van der Sar, who became the first foreign keeper to play for Juve, never truly settled in Turin and moved to Fulham in 2001.

He served The Whites admirably, but was lured to Old Trafford by the prospect of challenging for honours.

Things have not gone according to script, with The Red Devils slipping out of Europe at an early stage and failing to mount a challenge to Chelsea in The Premiership, but the giant keeper has proved his worth with commanding performances.

His consistent form and giant frame have made him a regular for the Oranje since the mid-90s and he will look to add an international title which would complete his CV.