12 Things Man Utd Want You To Forget About Sir Alex Ferguson

6. Letting Other World Class Players Go

Cristiano Ronaldo wasn't the only world class player Sir Alex Ferguson let slip through his fingers. In 2001, Ferguson let influential defender Jaap Stam leave the club after being infuriated by claims made in the player's autobiography. Stam was an absolute rock at the heart of United's defence, and the Dutchman€™s importance to the side was such that veteran BBC football commentator Mike Ingham once famously said: €œWithout Jaap Stam, Sir Alex would still be Alex.€ That being said, Ferguson could not contain his festering rage toward Stam and his claims in his autobiography that he had been signed by United without former club PSV's consent, and sold him to Lazio. It was a big mistake. Ferguson even admitted:

"At the time he had just come back from an achilles injury and we thought he had just lost a little bit. We got the offer from Lazio, £16.5m for a centre-back who was 29. It was an offer I couldn't refuse. But in playing terms it was a mistake. He is still playing for Ajax at a really good level."

Stam went on to play at the highest levels of the game for another six years, moving on to Italian giants AC Milan before finishing his career at Ajax.