United relaxed over Edwin
01 Jul 2008 - 09:05:25
Veteran goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar will report back for pre-season training at Manchester United when he is ready following his exertions at Euro 2008.
The 37-year-old was a key figure in the Netherlands' run to the quarter-finals in Austria & Switzerland and has been given special dispensation from Sir Alex Ferguson to decide on his own plans ahead of the new season.
Van der Sar penned a new one-year contract to continue with the Premier League and European champions for another season towards the end of the last campaign.
"He'll get a good break now. I've told him to have as much holiday as he wants because at his age he knows what's best for him," Ferguson told the club's official website.
"He'll be back and hopefully he has another great season for us. He's looked after himself, that's the key to it.
"He's won the European Cup twice and lost another final, so he's had three finals and a fantastic career.
"He's had over 130 caps for his country, he doesn't need to trumpet his achievements. He's a modest lad and down to earth."
Meanwhile, Mikael Silvestre looks set to stay at Old Trafford after Bordeaux admitted defeat in their bid to lure the defender back to France.
Former United defender Laurent Blanc is in charge of Bordeaux, but does not expect Silvestre to leave despite slipping down the pecking order during an injury-ravaged last 18 months,
"Mikael Silvestre? It is finished," he revealed. "He has decided to stay in Manchester for his last season there."