Edwin van der Sar can see no reason why Cristiano Ronaldo would want to leave Manchester United.

Van der Sar has been an interested observer most of the summer as the Ronaldo saga has rumbled on.

At one point it seemed the winger was certain to leave for Real Madrid, only for the persistence of Sir Alex Ferguson to halt such talk to an extent that the smart money is on Ronaldo staying where he is.

After two decades at the highest level, Van der Sar has a vast amount of experience under his belt, and his instinct tells him Ronaldo would be better advised to remain at Old Trafford.

"There have been a lot of things said and it is a very personal situation but we have a great team here, we play in a great stadium, with great fans and we have an opportunity to win more," said the 37-year-old.

"It is not that the team is going backwards.

"We have other trophies to play for, like the Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup. You don't get the chance to play in those competitions very often because you need to win the Champions League in order to qualify.

"In my opinion, being at Manchester United is a great way to play at the highest level and win trophies with a team that is very closely knitted together.

"Cristiano also has a contract here. Sometimes things change but we have a good squad here without any question."

As Ronaldo is currently in the United States on holiday, recovering from an ankle operation which will keep him out of action until October, Van der Sar will not be seeing him for a while.

After returning from his summer break on Friday, the former Ajax goalkeeper has already bumped into a few of his team-mates from the Champions League win over Chelsea, with the rest due into United's Carrington HQ as preparations for the defence of their European and Premier League trophies intensifies.

Van der Sar is likely to feature for 45 minutes in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's testimonial against Espanyol on Saturday, then play the full game on August 6 when a Juventus side containing Alessandro del Piero, David Trezeguet, Gianluigi Buffon and Pavel Nedved come to Old Trafford.

For the first time in his three years at United, Van der Sar is facing a genuine challenge to his place from Ben Foster.

Sir Alex Ferguson is certain he has England's number one keeper on his books and after two seasons with Watford, then having the last one wrecked by a cruciate injury, Foster is keen to establish himself.

"Ben is a good goalkeeper, there is no question about that," said Van der Sar.

"But the same can be said of myself and Tomasz Kuszczak.

"We are all working hard to reach the highest level we can but people tend to be focused on Ben because they relate it to the England situation.

"I don't really care who is behind me, I just want to keep the jersey. That means I have to perform and make sure I am fit and playing at the level everyone wants me to be at."

For all his achievements in the game, Van der Sar remains totally grounded and fully focused on what lies in front, rather than dwelling on victories of the past.

And given his most recent football was a disappointment when his international career ended on a low note with Holland's defeat to Russia in the Euro 2008 quarter-finals, Van der Sar's summer has not been particularly content.

"I have always thought more about losing things than winning," he said.

"Okay, you are happy when you win a big trophy but you just put it on your list and it is there.

"When you lose a league title, or you go out of major tournaments with your country, that feeling is harder to cope with and it stays with you for longer.

"Sometimes you have to remember not to be too negative.

"My wife always tells me to look at the things I have won.

"It is impossible to win everything, so I suppose I just have to remember I have won more games and trophies than I have lost, so I am still on the plus side. That is what counts."

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