Van der Sar reveals Ferguson voicemail that finally sealed his Manchester United move six years late

Edwin van der Sar could have arrived at Manchester United six years earlier than he did, the Dutch goalkeeper has revealed, after Sir Alex Ferguson’s pursuit of him in 1999 was blocked by a boardroom decision to sign Mark Bosnich on a free transfer instead.

Van der Sar was preparing to leave Ajax when he held talks with Liverpool manager Gérard Houllier, touring Anfield and meeting the club’s chairman and several players. Ultimately, he chose Juventus, believing Italy offered a greater challenge — but United had also been in the picture.

“I found out that Ferguson had always been really keen on signing me but the chairman of United had a deal to sign Mark Bosnich on a free instead,” Van der Sar told FourFourTwo in 2017. “So the idea had always been for me to succeed Peter Schmeichel, but it ended up taking six years longer than planned and they tried out some other keepers in that period.”

The moment United’s interest was finally confirmed came through an unexpected message. “I found out that United were going to sign me when I discovered a voicemail from Ferguson,” he said. “That was a special day. That was the moment I thought: ‘This is why I came over to London — to eventually make this next step forward.’”

Ferguson’s message made clear exactly what he wanted from the goalkeeper. “He told me he needed someone who could lead and give guidance to the defence. He said he knew I wouldn’t get flustered if the side was under pressure.”

In the intervening years, Fulham benefited from United’s hesitation. The newly promoted Premier League side signed Van der Sar from Juventus and used his experience to establish themselves in the top flight.

Despite joining United just months before his 35th birthday, Van der Sar’s patience was richly rewarded. Six seasons at Old Trafford brought four Premier League titles and the 2008 Champions League, where he made a decisive save from Nicolas Anelka in the penalty shoot-out final against Chelsea — his second European crown, following his first with Ajax in 1995.

After retiring, Van der Sar returned to Ajax as CEO before stepping down from that role in 2023, though he remains a celebrated figure among supporters of both his English clubs.