How Manchester United’s 2005 trip to Hong Kong paid off for Van der Sar
Former goalkeeper revisits city ahead of United’s match against Hong Kong on Friday
While Manchester United’s match in Hong Kong this week gives fans a long-awaited first-hand sighting of their idols, Edwin van der Sar has said the club’s 2005 visit offered rare insights for him, too.
The former goalkeeper said his first Far East tour with United, which began in the city, planted the seed for what he later did after hanging up his gloves in 2011.
A playing career highlighted by two Champions League triumphs, a 1998 World Cup semi-final with the Netherlands and eight domestic titles in his homeland and England was followed by a string of successes in the Ajax boardroom.
Talking to the Post ahead of United’s clash with a Hong Kong XI on Friday, Van der Sar recalled his first overseas match for the Old Trafford club after signing from Fulham: a 2-0 pre-season victory over Hong Kong.