Edwin Van der Sar admits he is open to a return to Manchester United in the future – but not yet.
The former United goalkeeper, who spent six years at Old Trafford, is currently working as CEO of Dutch side Ajax.
Speculation has persisted that United would like to appoint their first-ever director of football at the club, and Van der Sar admits whilst he would be interested in the role he is happy in his current position for now.
“Nah, I’m really happy here in Amsterdam and we’re not finished yet,” Van der Sar said in an interview with The Times.
“Marc [Overmars] always said you want to touch the crossbar. What he means is we want to reach a high point, and that’s what we want to do for another couple of years. We want to be successful in the Champions League. We want to win the Dutch league a couple of times. Make Ajax really future-proof.”
Despite insisting his work in Amsterdam is far from complete, the 48-year-old says the opportunity to return to Old Trafford would appeal in the future.
“I know United is a much bigger challenge than Ajax,” he says.
“United is not just a big and famous club, but also a worldwide brand — yet when you’re inside it’s still a family place. I remember when I came from Fulham. Oh it’s United . . . but after one day you felt at home. The washing ladies. Mike the chef. Kath [the receptionist]. They’re still there.
“You need to cherish that and Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] is doing a great job at it. But also Ed. I have utmost respect for him, what he does for the club. So I don’t need to be the big man. I want to feel I contribute, and you can only do it for something you believe in. United is a special place. Who knows, eventually? But for the coming years I’m here.”
