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Manchester
United goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar looks likely to retire at the end
of the season, manager Alex Ferguson said on Thursday.

The 40-year-old
Dutch keeper’s retirement has been on the cards for some time and United
have been preparing to fill some big boots by bringing in Dane Anders
Lindegaard who will be registered with the club in early January.

“We’re planning for it to be possibly Edwin’s last season,” Ferguson told a news conference.

Asked if there might
be a coaching role for Van der Sar, the manager replied: “He’ll be
someone of interest in terms of his knowledge and standing in the game,
but we haven’t discussed that yet.”

Van der Sar, who in
2009 set an English league record of minutes without conceding a goal
when he went more than 21 hours unbeaten, has been key for United since
his arrival in 2005 from Fulham.

Moments of
brilliance have been peppered with the odd blunder like the one in
October’s 2-2 draw with West Bromwich Albion where he dropped a simple
catch in a mistake Ferguson said was “inexplicable” but one he would
make “the only time in his life”.

His cool head at the
times when it really counts, such as when he saved Nicolas Anelka’s
final penalty in the shootout against Chelsea in the 2007-08 Champions
League final, are what United will miss.

Clean sheet record

A modest man, who
even when he was setting his clean sheet record was quick to say the
secret to his success was hard work from everyone, Van der Sar has
helped United to three Premier League titles.

His team mates have
often said he has been getting better with age but even if that is the
case, Van der Sar knows everyone has an expiry date in the game although
he has yet to comment on the issue.

Having been caught
out a decade ago when Peter Schmeichel left, Ferguson has been
determined to avoid facing a big goalkeeping hole when his current
number one retires.

With that in mind,
26-year-old Lindegaard has been training with United in recent weeks and
will be registered after the holiday season.

“He is training with
us now and that is important,” Ferguson said of Lindegaard, who has
joined from Denmark’s Aalesund for 3.5 million pounds according to
British media.

Van der Sar is likely to be between the posts when the Premier League leaders host Sunderland on Sunday.