Donny can be as good as Scholes says Van der Sar
DONNY VAN DE BEEK has been compared to Manchester United legend Paul Scholes – by the man who helped secure his move to Old Trafford.
Former United keeper Edwin van der Sar played a key role in Van de Beek’s £ 40million move from Ajax, in his role as the Dutch club’s chief executive.
Van der Sar spent six years at United, playing alongside Scholes, who made 718 appearances for the club, scoring 155 goals.
Van de Beek is set to make his United debut tomorrow in their opening Premier League game of the season at home to Crystal Palace.
“He can play in different positions in midfield,” said Van der Sar. “He can be a six or an eight or a 10 – he has a great eye for a goal. His technique is brilliant, he can go box- to- box.
“I’d compare him a little bit to Scholesy, although Scholesy had a cracker of a shot from 30 to 40 yards out. That’s not Donny’s strength, but he likes to come into the box and chip in with goals.
“Maybe it’s unfair to compare him to Scholesy, but he’s a good lad and I’m sure he’ll be a great addition to the team that Ole is creating. I presume he’s had a talk with Ole and they’ve talked about different positions.
“He’s multifunctional, he can play a little bit deeper which I think is his preferred role.
“Of course, we know United already have a couple of great midfield players there, so he’ll find his way in the team.
“Also, with the amount of games that top clubs need to play this year in the Premier League, Champions League and cup matches, everything is quite intense.
“So you need a good, wide squad and I think the midfield looks OK at the moment for United.”
Van de Beek was part of the Ajax side that won the Dutch double in 2019, as well as reaching the Champions League semi- finals, where they lost to Tottenham.
He came through the youth ranks at Ajax and emerged as one of the most exciting young midfielders in Europe in recent seasons.