Who is Van der Sar's wife Annemarie van Kesteren and do they have children?

Footballing legend Edwin Van der Sar is in intensive care after suffering a brain haemorrhage while on holiday in Croatia.

The former Manchester United and Fulham star goalie was flown to hospital by helicopter today and is said to be in a stable condition, according to a statement from Ajax.

'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 a stable condition,' a spokesperson said.

The former manager of Ajax's shock illness comes 14 years after his wife was hospitalised with the same condition when she collapsed in their family home in the Netherlands.

Here, MailOnline takes a look at the life of Edwin Van der Sar, 53, and his wife Annemarie Van Kesteren, 50.

Who is Edwin Van der Sar?

Edwin Van der Sar is a former Manchester United and Ajax goalkeeper, who also used to play in international tournaments for his country the Netherlands.

Born in Voorhout he began his career with his hometown club Foreholte. His professional career as a senior player began in the early 1990s when he joined AFC Ajax.

He was regarded as a member of the team's golden years, which saw them in the UEFA Champions League in 1995.

In 1999 he left the club for Juventus where he played for two years. He then set off to England.

He first played for Fulham and then moved to Manchester United in 2005. At Manchester United he won his second Champions League Trophy. This means he is one of just eight players in the world to have won the tournament with more than one club.

In 2011, Van der Sar retired from the club before returning to Ajax as their director of marketing. Four years later he was promoted to become the club's chief executive.

But last season he stepped down from his role as manager after a disappointing few months.

After quitting he said: 'We have experienced wonderful things together, but it has also been an incredibly tough period.

'I am very grateful for the people I have met and worked with during my second career at Ajax, and what we have achieved and been through together. I feel the need to take some distance, to get some rest, and to do other things.

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

Who is Edwin Van der Sar's wife?

Edwin van der Sar married Annemarie Van Kesteren in May 2006 in a wedding ceremony that took place in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

In 2009, Annemarie suffered a brain hemorrhage when she was 36 causing her to collapse in their family home over the Christmas holidays.

She was rushed to hospital but fortunately where she was quickly joined by rallying relatives, including their son Joe and daughter Lynn. She made a full recovery and suffered no long-term effects.

The football star was given compassionate leave by her husband leave by Manchester United at the time to help Annemarie. She miraculously made a full recovery and suffered no long-term effects after spending three weeks in hospital.

Speaking about the illness, she said: 'After my brain hemorrhage, I had to relearn many things; talk, walk, plan. Even the most mundane things suddenly became a huge challenge.

'Shopping, for example. The supermarket was suddenly a place where my senses were overwhelmed by a flood of stimuli and information.'

The couple went on to set up the Sar Foundation, which joined forces with the Brain Foundation in 2021.

Both Edwin and Annemarie remain active in the charity today.

Annemarie tends to stay out of the limelight and not much is known about the footballer's wife. She is sometimes caught on his official Instagram account and in March 2023 Edwin shared a selection of photos taken to wish his wife happy birthday.

Do the couple have children together?

The couple have two children. A son called Joe, who is reportedly 25, and a daughter called Lynn, who is 23.

Joe is also a footballer, previously playing for the Pittsburgh Panthers.