Position: Goalkeeper
Born: 29.10.70
Club: Manchester United

Edwin van der Sar will hope his fine Premiership performances are replicated in the World Cup.

The 6ft 5in keeper has been in good form for the Red Devils, which has helped justify why he has an undisputed claim to the Dutch No 1 shirt.

Van der Sar uses his height well and is an excellent shot-stopper but is occasionally prone to errors.

He began his career with Ajax where he won four Eredivisie titles and the Champions League in 1995 before joining Italian giants Juventus in 1999. He only spent two seasons in Turin but it was at a time where Juve failed to capture any major trophies and in the end he left for Fulham.

Jean Tigana was willing to splash out £5million for the keeper, and he did not disappoint and his consistently fine displays helped the Cottages becoming an established Premiership outfit.

But in the summer of 2005, van der Sar was rewarded with a move back to the big time when he moved to Old Trafford for an undisclosed fee (rumored to be around £2.5million) and immediately became the first-choice stopper as Sir Alex Ferguson finally found the man who could fill the void left by Peter Schmeicel.

With over 100 caps for Holland, van der Sar has experience of several major tournaments and has the proven quality to keep providing his defence with confidence as the Dutch aim for their first World Cup crown.