Edwin van der Sar
A towering, elegant goalkeeper whose late-career brilliance with Manchester United cemented his status as a European football giant.
Born 1970 (age 56)·Dutch footballer·Birthday: October 29·Generation X
Biography
Edwin van der Sar redefined the modern goalkeeper with a blend of athletic grace, tactical intelligence, and an almost preternatural calm. His career was a study in sustained excellence, beginning with a trophy-laden spell at Ajax, where he won the Champions League in 1995. A move to Juventus made him the first non-Italian to guard their goal, but his true iconic chapter began in his thirties with Manchester United. There, his leadership and shot-stopping were instrumental in a dominant period, culminating in a second Champions League title in 2008, where he saved the decisive penalty. After retiring as one of the game's most decorated players, he transitioned seamlessly into football administration, returning to Ajax as CEO to shape the club's future.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Edwin was born in 1970, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Edwin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Edwin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Became a teenager
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Could drive
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Could vote
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Turned 21
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2000Turned 30
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 40
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 50
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 56 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the UEFA Champions League with two different clubs: Ajax (1995) and Manchester United (2008).
- Held the world record for the longest streak without conceding a goal in league football (1,311 minutes) in 2009.
- Won four Premier League titles with Manchester United and was named the league's best goalkeeper in 2009.
- Earned 130 caps for the Netherlands national team, a record for a Dutch goalkeeper at the time of his retirement.
Did You Know?
He began his professional career as a field player before switching to goalkeeper at age 20.
He is the oldest player to ever win the Premier League, having done so at age 40 with Manchester United.
After retiring, he served as the marketing director for the classic Dutch liquor Advocaat before returning to Ajax in an executive role.
“The older you get, the more you have to prove.”
