Sir Alex Ferguson, two days before Christmas in 2010, took his seat to address the media ahead of a Boxing Day clash with Sunderland and confirmed that a changing of the guard was on its way at Manchester United.
Five-and-a-half years after swapping Fulham for Old Trafford for a reported fee of just £2million, Ferguson announced that veteran goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar was planning to retire at the end of the 2010/11 campaign. Considering the Dutchman had already celebrated his 40th birthday, it was not too great a surprise.
But when you remember that Van der Sar, just two months earlier, had quashed suggestions made by former United goalkeeping coach Eric Steele that he had already made the decision to retire come the end of the season, Ferguson's admission did make the unimaginable hit home. Although the former Ajax star had only been at United for just over half a decade, he was part of the furniture. He was a figure that you almost thought United would never be without.
