Chelsea Women star Ann-Katrin Berger has revealed her icon was Manchester United’s Edwin van der Saar.
Berger began her career in 2011 with 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam, before heading to Paris Saint-Germain in 2014.
After two years in France, she moved across the channel to England to join Birmingham before eventually moving to Chelsea last summer.
Like many players, she began her career playing further up the pitch before eventually moving back and ending up in goal.
And she says it was watching van der Saar, who kept 135 clean sheets in 266 games for Manchester United, who showed her goalkeepers were more than just shot-stoppers.
“I’ve always liked Edwin van der Sar,” she told Sport 1.
“Everyone always says that Manuel Neuer is a playing goalkeeper. But the Dutchman van der Sar was the goalkeeper who showed that for the first time on the pitch.
“I found it interesting how he helped his team as a goalkeeper. I remember that he ran six kilometres and that as a keeper.
“It was impressive at the time. I always wanted to be different from the others. That is why van der Sar was a great role model.”
Like footballers across Europe, Berger currently finds herself in isolation as the continent battles against the spread of COVID-19.
Isolation is nothing new to the goalkeeper, who had to spend three days on her own when recovering from thyroid cancer in 2017.
That period of her life taught her to view things differently, and the Chelsea goalkeeper believes the current period will be ‘good for everyone’.
“Unfortunately, football hangs on money. And humanity falls by the wayside,” she added.
“It’s different in the crisis, but I’m afraid it will change as soon as everything is back to normal.
“That’s too bad. However, one should not forget that footballers are people and do their best.
“It is good for everyone right now to collect and see what happens on earth – football is only a small part of it. Anyone can get the virus. The break will do us good.”
