Kuszczak eyes number one spot

Tomasz Kuszczak is determined to prove in the coming campaign he can step up and replace Edwin van der Sar once the Dutch goalkeeper retires.

Van der Sar will be 40 in October and next season could be his last for Manchester United after he agreed a one-year extension to his contract. With Ben Foster frustrated at having little chance to impress and leaving to join Birmingham, Kuszczak is keen to take over the mantle.

Kuszczak, 28, said: "I hope it will be a big season for me. This will be my fifth with the club and I hope to play even more games. My challenge is simple - after Edwin finishes I want to be number one at Manchester United."

He added: "It's not easy to sit on the bench - I have many ambitions and I want to keep progressing as a player.

"Manchester United is a great club and I believe it's a club I can play at for many years."

Kuszczak has made 51 appearances for United, including 11 straight matches from November to January last season.

"I knew it was going to be very important for me to prove myself during that time," he said. "It was a difficult situation because we had a lot of injuries but I enjoyed every game.

"To have a good run of matches really helped me with my form and gave me a lot of confidence.

"I want to become a better goalkeeper and learn new things and hopefully I will get more opportunities this season."