"He (van der Sar) won the Champions League with Ajax back in 1995 and I was eight-years-old at the time," explained fellow Dutchman Krul, 22.
"I even went to see Ajax a couple of times just to see him play and he has been a great goalkeeper for many, many years.
"He has continued to break records and win European Cups, and for me he's an absolute idol.
"I actually met him a few years ago and I remember telling my parents that he was the only person I've ever been nervous about meeting.
"He took about 30 minutes of his time to speak to me and he even rang me after I made my Newcastle debut.
"He's the best all-rounder at the moment and to win 130 caps for your country says it all."