Manchester United legend Sir Bobby Charlton has paid tribute to the retiring Edwin van der Sar, insisting the Dutchman was "not a normal keeper".
Van der Sar joined United in 2005 and provided the club with some much-needed stability in goal, and Charlton revealed he instilled confidence amongst the back four.
"He is not a normal keeper," he said.
"The players in front of him always can have the thought: we still have Edwin. He has got so much talent and a strong character. Maybe he is the best goalkeeper United ever had, but we also had Schmeichel. But Van der Sar is unique."
Fellow Dutchman and former Arsenal forward Dennis Bergkamp also hailed Van der Sar and revealed his commitment to his profession.
“He is a winner," he said. "Even in training, he always played 100 per cent. When you deliver in England like he did, you will be received in the arms of the fans.
"I experienced that too. They really, really appreciate you when you are a professional. That's something different than in Holland."
Guus Hiddink, who coached Van der Sar during his time as Holland boss, praised the calming influence the former Fulham man had on those around him.
"The unique thing about Edwin is that he thinks always simple, it's based on quality and serenity. In the dressing room he corrected something always very smoothly. He was much appreciated by all his colleagues," he said.
Van der Sar’s team-mate at Manchester United, Rio Ferdinand took to social networking site Twitter to pay tribute to the Dutchman.
"Great crowd + great appreciation for a great servant of the game. It was a pleasure to play alongside him. Respect #edwinvandersar" the Tweet read.
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