The Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson says 40-year-old goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar considered extending his football career beyond the end of the season before getting over his late "wobble".
Premier League champions United have been actively seeking a replacement goalkeeper for months and Ferguson backed the Dutchman's decision to stick with his original intention and step down after next Sunday's Champions League final.
English media have also reported that midfielder Owen Hargreaves would also be leaving at the end of the season.
Hargreaves has been cursed by injuries since arriving from Bayern Munich in 2007 and is out of contract at the end of the campaign.
