Former Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar has been repatriated to his native Netherlands as he continues his recovery from a brain hemorrhage.
The 52-year-old goalkeeper was rushed to hospital via helicopter after suffering a brain hemorrhage on holiday in Croatia earlier in July and according to a statement from Ajax, the goalkeeper has now been moved to a hospital back home.
“Edwin has been repatriated from Croatia on Friday evening and is currently in the intensive care unit of a Dutch hospital,” read part of the statement, adding: “His situation remains the same stable, in a non-life-threatening condition and communicative. The Van der Sar family would like to express their deep gratitude to the ‘University Hospital of Split’ for their great care during the last week.”
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The statement continued: “Edwin has to remain in the intensive care unit where he will be investigated further, and the family fervently hopes he can focus on his recovery afterward.”
Earlier this week, former Man Unite defender Jaap Stam passed on his good wishes to Edwin van der Sar, his former Netherlands team-mate and Man United legend. Stam left United in 2001, four years before van der Sar joined, but the pair played 60 times together for the Netherlands, with the goalkeeper amassing an incredible total of 130 caps for his country.
“We all send our love to Edwin,” Jaap said, adding. “We know him very well and it’s always shocking to hear that things like this are happening now. Edwin has always been very sporty, you know, and he always exercises a lot. So you don’t expect this to happen to a former player and a former teammate.
“He’s been living a stressful life before, at Ajax of course, in the job that he was in [chief executive],” added Jaap. “Of course, it is a huge impact for them and for everybody that knows him, as well.”
Van der Sar moved to Man United in 2005 from Fulham, made a total of 266 appearances, and contributed hugely to the Reds winning four Premier League titles, the Champions League, and Club World Cup.