Former Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar in ICU after bleeding around brain

Amsterdam [Netherlands], July 8 : Former Manchester United and Netherlands goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar is in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after suffering bleeding around his brain, announced his former club Ajax on Friday.

The 52-year-old is currently stable at the hospital, the club announced.

An Ajax statement on Twitter said as quoted by Sky Sports: "On Friday, Edwin van der Sar has had a bleeding around his brain. He's currently in hospital in the intensive care unit and is in stable condition.

"Once there is more concrete information, an update will follow. Everyone at Ajax wishes Edwin a speedy recovery. We are thinking of you," added the statement.

No further details were given by the club about the goalkeeper's condition and what led to his hospitalisation.

Also, his former club Manchester United and Fulham in the United Kingdom, where he spent years competing in the top-flight football of Premier League, also extended their support to van der Sar.

"Sending all our love and strength to you, Edwin," tweeted Manchester United.

Fulham, a side that Van der Sar represented for four years before joining United, tweeted: "Everyone at Fulham Football Club wishes Edwin a speedy recovery. We are thinking of you."

The Professional Footballers' Association tweeted: "The thoughts of everyone at the PFA are with Edwin and his family."

During his time with United, he won the Premier League four times during his six-year stint from 2005-2011, which saw him make 186 appearances for the club. He also won the UEFA Champions League with the club in 2008. He also won the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup and League Cup with Manchester United.

He also represented Ajax from 1990-1999 and made 226 appearances with them. He also won the UEFA Champions League with the Dutch club. Following this stint, he moved to Juventus, for which he made 66 appearances before signing with Fulham in 2001.

Following his retirement from football in 2011, Edwin returned to Ajax and took the role of chief executive there, which he occupied till the last season.

After a disappointing season, the club earned a third-place finish in Eredivise, the top-football competition in the Netherlands. They also missed on a UEFA Champions League spot and the goalkeeper announced that he will be stepping down from his role.

"I feel the need to take some distance, to get some rest, and to do other things," he had said on Twitter at the end of May.

"It does not feel good to take decisions about the future of this wonderful club in the coming period. That is why I have decided to resign."

After suffering a loss to Barcelona in the Champions League final in 2011, van der Sar retired.

He also represented the Netherlands in 130 matches and at one point was their most-capped player.