The nature of Jaap Stam's departure from Man United has been well-documented, with Sir Alex Ferguson later describing his hastened decision to usher the Dutch centre-half out the door in 2001 as his 'worst Man United mistake of his career'. The 29 year old had only spent three seasons with the Red Devils, but had won the league title in every campaign, one of which was part of the hallowed treble-winning season of 1999. A solid and composed figure at the back, it looked like Stam would be a stalwart at the back for the next number of years at Old Trafford. The impetuous Ferguson had other ideas, however.
''I soon realised the club wanted to get rid of me. They also needed the money. One morning I told him what I thought and left the training ground on the spot. On the way home, he came on the phone straightaway. Ferguson said, Where are you?. I said, Close to my house, at a petrol station. Ferguson said, Wait there!. At the petrol station he parked his car and got in with me. He told me that I had to be transferred. Then he said, Will you please move to Lazio quickly? '' - Jaap Stam, October 2013.
Ferguson has since castigated his own lack of judgement regarding the transfer, but for Stam, he felt let down by his manager, as he wasn't ready to leave a club the size of Manchester United just yet - and certainly not parked in a petrol station.
Recent Journalism & New Media graduate. Insatiable thirst for all things football, and hopes to break into the field of sports journalism in the near future.
Have made a significantly insignificant playing career out of receiving several slaps around the head for not passing the ball.
