Edwin van der Sar on his health journey, future in football, Manchester United and Ruben Amorim | Football News

Edwin van der Sar’s life was turned upside down last July when he suffered a brain haemorrhage while on holiday in Croatia.

Van der Sar, the former goalkeeper of “Manchester United” and the Dutch national team, spoke in an exclusive interview Sky Sports News. senior reporter Tim Thornton in Amsterdam to discuss the moment his life changed, his journey back to health, his future and Ruben Amorim’s appointment at Old Trafford.

Edwin, can we take you back to July last year? You were on vacation in Croatia. Can you explain to us what happened?

I woke up and it was the last day of vacation and we were going to leave that day. I could feel something in my neck, behind my shoulders.

I threw myself into the bathroom and went back to the room where the curtains were open and there was no light in my eyes. It turned out to be a brain hemorrhage.

It was a bit of a shock to be honest because you all think you’re healthy, strong and certainly not as fit as you’ve been in your career, but you never expect something like this to happen. fit 52-year-old man.

Your wife, Annemarie, also had a brain hemorrhage. Did he recognize the signs too quickly?

I think we’re kind of experienced with that. I was there when it happened to him and he was in the room when it happened to me. We also have a foundation, we take care of people with brain hemorrhages and small children about

Thus, he recognized the signs and contacted the general director of the hotel. They were fantastic in Croatia, got the doctor, got the ambulance and from there it was to the hospital for checks and stuff. I just laid back and rested and let other people do what they had to do and that was pretty it turned out well.

Were you aware of the outpouring of support from the football world?

No, because I didn’t take my phone from my wife for about two weeks. The first week I was in the hospital in Croatia, then we were transferred to Holland, The Hague, another four or five days in the ICU. From there I went to a regular room, and that’s when I got my phone back.

So in that part you see how much message you have, but I think the first thing you have to do is get better. There’s a lot of attention, a lot of people are kind, but you have to look after yourself, your family and your kids and just recover.

I did the same in the first round. Of course, all the well wishes, flowers, Instagram posts, support, it’s nice to have and great to see.

Is it quite a long process from being in the hospital to getting back to normal?

It all depends. I think it was a lighter version, but your whole body is shaking. I had to work on my conditioning stuff, all that. But it was totally normal, let’s say, two weeks later , move, stuff like that.

Are you fully recovered now?

I think yes. Perhaps some things have changed in my thinking, but only, for example, my wife and children notice it. But let’s say such a conversation is not a problem.

Has it changed your perspective on life?

Probably. I resigned at Ajax at the end of May, about five weeks before my episodes. I thought I’d take a year off.

I go on a trip, rest, and then take on a new challenge. When you’re dealing with health issues, when you’re working, you think, ‘Well, my job is the most important thing.’ sign the best players, we have to lead the club and everything.”

It doesn’t really matter if your health is compromised or in place. So in that part I’m enjoying life as it is. I’m not really looking for a new challenge or something because it , what I did as a football player, I played until I was 40 or 41 years old.

At the age of 52, I was a manager at Ajax. I think we’ve been incredibly successful in bringing the club back to its European origins. The quality of players we’ve developed, the ambition we’ve shown to the club, really. to level “Ajax”.

It didn’t go unnoticed, and it was amazing. To really go on a new adventure, I’m not really sure it’s going to be the next thing.

But we recently saw you on the field at the Legends game.How was that experience, putting the boots back on?

Sometimes I tell my friends what I’ve really missed, maybe just hitting a few balls 30 meters and just playing football. Doing it again with the players you respected, played with, played against.

For example, I had a great conversation with Didier Drogba. When we played, he felt pain. He was always scoring. He was right on top of Rio (Ferdinand) and Vida (Nemanja Vidic). He’s tough, but you talk to him for half an hour or 40 minutes about his ambitions to be the president of the football federation. He’s a great guy is

When you play, the only thing you have to do is work for yourself, work for your club, score goals for your club, perform at the highest level. In that respect, it’s great to have more time now to have those conversations in a very respectful way compared to when you’re a player.

Do you feel like you’re done with football now?

No, I don’t think so. Of course, I enjoyed the game. I haven’t been to many games, but I think what I’ve achieved, what I’ve learned in 11 years as a marketing director and as a chief executive, I’m sure there will be a challenge somewhere.

Is it for me? I’m not sure yet. I haven’t decided yet.

I do things that I enjoy. I like to go on vacation, to walk the dog, to get a sandwich. The little things make me happy at the moment, but maybe in a year, half a year, you’ll want challenges again. to have

The attraction of the football world, the smell of success or working with a team to achieve something, I think it will be a pull at some point in the coming years.

You mentioned your role as CEO at Ajax, so how do you feel about reorganizing Manchester United?How important is it to have that leadership from the top?

It’s very important that everything is connected.At Ajax, I also felt that when one radar, one little thing, is not working, it can have an impact down the line.

I think that happened at United as well. I think the structure has been quite clear, the Glazers as owners. I think the football structure has changed a few times as well.

I think what I’m hearing, what I’m reading, I think they’re all signed in a way that they can support each other. let’s say the people who have to appoint a manager have appointed their manager, so it will probably work better than the situation a couple of months ago.

Your first impressions of Ruben Amorim, does he have character, personality?

Many things are required at Manchester United. I think what Eric achieved with Ajax, the success in Europe, the way we played, that he could play the right tactics, I expected that at Manchester United as well.

I met Ruben four or five years ago. I think we were playing against Sporting Lisbon and he was the head coach at the time. I was watching the U19 league game and he was there too, so I had a nice chat with him. I think he’s an open person, I think his humor is open, his English is good.

I haven’t followed Sporting all the time and I’m sure the homework has been done by the scouts, the technical people at the club to find a successor and hopefully bring success to the club.

And when you’re trying to succeed, is the biggest commodity time?

Time is always a nice thing to have, but at some point you have to get results, I’m sure those results will come.

I think the club has huge support around the world. They have signed enough players and at some point you have to stop cutting left and right.

Now they will play a new system. Of course, the manager wants to have one or two players in January. I think the most important thing is to have a line with the technical director, the football director, so that they know which situation they need to replace, change, add.

I’m sure there will be a discussion, but until then, the manager has to perform and has to win games because the position they’re in now is not great.