Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar set a new English Premier League record for clean sheets when the champions thrashed West Bromwich Albion 5-0 at the Hawthorns on Tuesday.
The Dutchman has gone 1,032 minutes without conceding a goal, beating the previous record of 1,025 set by Chelsea’s Petr Cech in 2004-05.
“The most important thing is the win, but of course it is great for the team to get the record. I just needed to keep the concentration levels high and fire up the defenders and midfielders,” Van der Sar told the BBC.
“When I saw 85 minutes on the clock I was happy but the most important thing was that we got the three points.”
The last time United’s defence was breached in the league was in the 48th minute of their 2-1 defeat by Arsenal when Samir Nasri scored and manager Alex Ferguson paid tribute to his injury-hit back line.
“I am proud of them. They have been fantastic in this run,” Ferguson said. “Edwin van der Sar has had a fantastic career, but he was really pleased to get this record. You look at him and what happened has really thrilled him.”
