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Manchester United legend Edwin van der Sar has suggested a return to Old Trafford is not on the cards in the near future, joking that there’s already too many Dutchmen at the club.

The former goalkeeper turned director has been speaking to Humberto à Paris, relayed by Voetbal Primeur, about his desire to return to football after leaving Ajax.

Van der Sar is currently out of work after departing the Dutch giants in July last year, where he had been the Chief Executive Offer since November 2016.

That was one of several roles he had held with Ajax since retiring, first working as head of marketing and then sporting CEO from 2012.

He left last year as part of a major overhaul of the club and its structures and has long been linked with a potential return to Manchester United.

Many had named him as a potential candidate to take up the previously vacant director of football role, which is now filled by Dan Ashworth.

Given Erik ten Hag continues to surround himself with Dutchmen, though, perhaps the window is open for a return either way, but Van der Sar doesn’t see that happening.

“I do think I want to take the next step”, he said.

“I will have to find a new goal. For a long time, I had the goal of bringing Ajax up to the European top. Now I have temporarily lost my goal, but I will find it at some point.

“I think there are enough Dutchmen (at Manchester United) at the moment. Let those men get to work on the field.

“I don’t know if I want to work fifty or sixty hours again. Will it be individual projects, something with a federation or something in sports? I have no idea yet. But sports are appealing. That’s the best thing there is.”