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Former Man Utd enforcer Stam retires
AFP
October 29, 2007
THE HAGUE (AFP) - The Dutch international and former Manchester United defender, Jaap Stam, announced his retirement Monday.
Stam, 35, played for United from 1997 to 2001 and participated in the club's treble in 1999 when they won the English Premier league, the European Champions League and the FA Cup as well as the Intercontinental Cup.
Stam won two other English league titles in 1997 and 2000.
Known as "the rock of Kampen" after the Dutch amateur club where began his career, the 1.91 metre tall defender made his professional debut at the age of 20 for Zwolle in the Dutch second divison.
He made his international debut at 23 with a 1-0 loss to Germany in 1996 and went on to win 67 caps for the Netherlands including their semi-finals performances in the 1998 World Cup, Euro 2000 and Euro 2004.
Stam became the most expensive Dutch player in history when he was bought by United for around 11 million pounds (22 million dollars) in 1997.
It was Stam's revelation in his biography that United coach Sir Alex Ferguson had made an illegal approach to him while he was playing for PSV Eindhoven which is believed to have contributed to his sudden departure from Old Trafford.
Stam said afterwards he was surprised Ferguson accepted the 16-million-pound Lazio bid for him in the summer of 2001, just two years after he had helped United lift the Champions League trophy in 1999 after an unforgettable 2-1 win over Bayern Munich in Barcelona.
"Manchester United know they made a mistake in selling me," Stam claimed.
Given that Stam prospered in Italy while United endured a trophy-less 2001-02 campaign, that view will be shared by many of the club's fans although Ferguson has refused to admit he made an error in selling the Dutch defender.
In January 2002, while at Lazio, Stam tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone. He was suspended for one month and fined 30,000 pounds (60,000 dollars).
He later switched clubs in the Serie A, playing two seaons for AC Milan from 2004 before returning home to the Netherlands to play for Amsterdam's famous Ajax club in 2006 where he ended his career six months earlier than intended.
"I'm not up to the standard that's needed. I already wanted to stop at the beginning of the season but I convinced myself that I could go on," he told a press conference Monday.
"Now, I can't go on. I'm not the type of player who gives only 50 percent and I never was."
AFP
October 29, 2007
THE HAGUE (AFP) - The Dutch international and former Manchester United defender, Jaap Stam, announced his retirement Monday.
Stam, 35, played for United from 1997 to 2001 and participated in the club's treble in 1999 when they won the English Premier league, the European Champions League and the FA Cup as well as the Intercontinental Cup.
Stam won two other English league titles in 1997 and 2000.
Known as "the rock of Kampen" after the Dutch amateur club where began his career, the 1.91 metre tall defender made his professional debut at the age of 20 for Zwolle in the Dutch second divison.
He made his international debut at 23 with a 1-0 loss to Germany in 1996 and went on to win 67 caps for the Netherlands including their semi-finals performances in the 1998 World Cup, Euro 2000 and Euro 2004.
Stam became the most expensive Dutch player in history when he was bought by United for around 11 million pounds (22 million dollars) in 1997.
It was Stam's revelation in his biography that United coach Sir Alex Ferguson had made an illegal approach to him while he was playing for PSV Eindhoven which is believed to have contributed to his sudden departure from Old Trafford.
Stam said afterwards he was surprised Ferguson accepted the 16-million-pound Lazio bid for him in the summer of 2001, just two years after he had helped United lift the Champions League trophy in 1999 after an unforgettable 2-1 win over Bayern Munich in Barcelona.
"Manchester United know they made a mistake in selling me," Stam claimed.
Given that Stam prospered in Italy while United endured a trophy-less 2001-02 campaign, that view will be shared by many of the club's fans although Ferguson has refused to admit he made an error in selling the Dutch defender.
In January 2002, while at Lazio, Stam tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone. He was suspended for one month and fined 30,000 pounds (60,000 dollars).
He later switched clubs in the Serie A, playing two seaons for AC Milan from 2004 before returning home to the Netherlands to play for Amsterdam's famous Ajax club in 2006 where he ended his career six months earlier than intended.
"I'm not up to the standard that's needed. I already wanted to stop at the beginning of the season but I convinced myself that I could go on," he told a press conference Monday.
"Now, I can't go on. I'm not the type of player who gives only 50 percent and I never was."