Dave Beasant isn't surprised by the success of Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar this season.

Beasant was the Dutchman's goalkeeper coach at Fulham and told the Daily Mail: "Great footballers - great goalkeepers - are always learning. That was one of the things that made Ed stand out to me.

"He has an insatiable need to understand why you are asking him to do something. He will just be, 'Why? Why? Why?' all the time. For example, if you look at him now he will come out of his box and sweep and pass the ball. He never used to do that until we talked about it. And that's just three or four years ago.

"There was also a time when he was dropped at Fulham. It was simply because we were on a bad run. But his attitude was remarkable. Mark Crossley was in the team ahead of him but instead of sulking he just said: 'What has he got that I haven't?' We told him that Crossley communicated better and talked more.

"Ed was a Holland international and a Champions League winner. He could have looked at me and taken it as an insult. But he went away and thought about it. Within a week his communication was better.

"This is why he has lasted so long. He has never, ever closed his mind."