Ryan Giggs and Rio Ferdinand have hailed the skill and calming influence of Edwin van der Sar after the goalkeeper helped Manchester United create Premier League history.
Van der Sar set an individual record for the most minutes without conceding a goal when he surpassed Petr Cech of Chelsea's 1,025 during the 5-0 demolition of West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns last night.
The 38-year-old Dutchman also played a key role in United clocking up an 11th successive clean sheet, beating the record set by Chelsea four years ago.
Ferdinand, who returned ahead of schedule from a back injury against the Baggies, said: "Edwin is the best keeper I've played with. It's as simple as that. The record, the stuff we've won together, the assuredness that he transmits from himself to the back four, is great. I also don't think I've seen a better keeper with his feet."
Giggs said: "Edwin just gives that calming influence right throughout the team, with his calmness on the ball when we play back passes to him, and his general goalkeeping is sound really.
"He is getting better with age. Obviously he has got great players in front of him but, when he is called upon, he never makes a mistake. With the clean sheets, Edwin has done brilliant over the last two or three months."
Asked to compare Van der Sar and Peter Schmeichel, who dominated between United's posts during the 1990s, Giggs said: "They are both great keepers. You can't really compare them. They are both brilliant, both international keepers, both have had great careers."
Giggs claims United's clean-sheet record is even more impressive given the injuries to Ferdinand, Wes Brown and Patrice Evra in recent months. "There have been great defenders at this club but, to go on the run we've gone on, and with some tough games in there as well, is brilliant," he said.
"In a way to achieve the record is an even better achievement because we have not been able to have a settled back four recently. Credit to the people who have come into the side like Fabio and Rafael [da Silva] and Jonny Evans. It's been a big squad effort."
Ferdinand is refusing to get carried away with United's surge to the top of the table after six successive wins. "It is just about continuing what we have been doing. I think we have been very tight of late. We have got players who are very businesslike at the moment.
"With that form you are on to a good thing but medals haven't been handed out yet so we are not going to get ahead of ourselves. We set ourselves a target, we have got to where we wanted to be at this stage and we need to continue that now."
Ferdinand is confident his back problem is behind him after missing 11 games in all competitions. "I could have played a little bit longer at West Brom but the manager brought me off. I am fine. There are no problems. I've just got to keep on top of it, keep working hard and keep doing my training and continue to be injury free hopefully."
The West Bromwich manager, Tony Mowbray, will be without his two most experienced players following the defeat by United. Paul Robinson faces a three-game ban for a challenge on Park Ji-sung and his captain, Jonathan Greening, has been ruled out for up to six weeks with medial knee ligament damage.
Mowbray said: "Greening is a big player and a big loss. He is a leader for our team on the pitch and, when you lose your leaders, it becomes more difficult when you need people to pull them together."
