![]() He knew Dwight Yorke from Villa and he’d been at United before.” “He was a funny guy with an infectious laugh and loud with it. “Bozzo thought he was the fastest at the club over six yards and used to challenge everyone at the club to a six-yard race for as much money as you wanted,” former defender David May tells The Athletic. ![]() Whichever is the true version, Bosnich duly arrived. We’ve shaken his hand.”įerguson remembers it slightly differently, saying the meeting was in January 1999 and that it was Edwards alone who had shaken hands on the deal. “We’ve both agreed a deal with him, Alex. “How do we get out of it (Bosnich)?” he asked Edwards. But Ferguson later had second thoughts, based on “bad reports received on Bosnich” and enquired about Van der Sar at Ajax. Ferguson identified Bosnich and chairman Martin Edwards recounts how they went to see him in Birmingham in November 1998 and agreed on a deal. ![]() United had a year to find a solution, since Schmeichel told them he wanted to go in September 1998, stating that he felt he could no longer give his absolute best for United. Raimond van der Gouw (signed in 1996) was a terrific, steady goalkeeper, and a very loyal and conscientious trainer, but he wouldn’t have been the No 1 choice.” “Having missed out on Van der Sar, I was throwing balls in the air, hoping one would land in the right place. “The biggest challenge was the goalkeeping position,” Sir Alex Ferguson later admitted of his post-treble worries. Villa was from where United signed his replacement, former United youth player Bosnich. There are some United fans who still won’t forgive him for his cartwheeling celebrations for City in a subsequent derby. Schmeichel’s last game was at the Champions League victory at the Nou Camp before he left for Sporting Lisbon, citing a desire to play in warmer climes - though he later went back to the Premier League with Aston Villa and Manchester City. The rest - Mark Bosnich, Raimond van der Gouw, Massimo Taibi, Paul Rachubka, Andy Goram, Roy Carroll, Nick Culkin, Ricardo, Tim Howard - promised a little or a lot, but none convinced long term. ![]() United did win three league titles and one FA Cup in six years but not one of the 10 goalkeepers who tried to fill Schmeichel’s big gloves in those six years came close to making a similar impact.įabien Barthez, with 139 appearances over three seasons, played by far the most. The lengthy transition between Schmeichel in 1999 and Van der Sar in 2005 was a troubled and sustained one. In 2011, at the age of 40, he became the oldest player to win the Premier League and while De Gea had a bumpy start after taking over from a man twice his age, he turned out to be United’s best player of the noughties. Edwin van der Sar, who joined the club in 2005, managed 266 games in six seasons - not bad for someone who was 34 when he signed. Only Alex Stepney played more games in goal for Manchester United, but De Gea could surpass that total of 539 if he stays to see out his contract that runs until 2023.Īt 29, De Gea has age on his side to make it into United’s top five appearance makers, as well as the non-British player with the most games to his name (currently Irishman Tony Dunne, with 535). David de Gea is only two games short of 400 appearances for Manchester United, level with Peter Schmeichel on 398.
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