What happened to Jaap Stam, the scariest defender ever?

Jaap Stam is somewhat of a cult figure in football history, with the defender terrorising the best strikers of his generation.

In his heyday, Jaap Stam was one of the best defenders in the world and was feared by even the best strikers. The Dutchman played for several big clubs, but not without controversy. This is the story of Jaap Stam.

Stam was born Jakob Stam on 17 July 1972 and began his professional football career with FC Zwolle, according to Transfermarkt.

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After just one season, he moved to Eredivisie club SC Cambuur, where he would be relegated.

However, that did not stop him from moving to Willem II in the summer of 1995, where he impressed and would only stay for half a season.

It was PSV Eindhoven that picked up Stam in January 1996, per Transfermarkt, a move the Dutch giants would not regret.

At PSV, Stam became an important player and won several trophies, including the KNVB Cup in 1995/96 and the league title in 1996/97.

In 1997, he was even awarded the Dutch Footballer of the Year award by the Association of Contract Players, as Dutch football medium Voetbal International reported at the time.

Stam sparked the interest of the big boys in Europe, and it was Manchester United who signed him in 1998 for €17 million (Transfermarkt), making the Dutchman the most expensive defender ever at the time.

Stam immediately established himself in United's defence and helped the Red Devils win three consecutive Premier League titles.

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Stam also experienced United's Champions League triumph against Bayern Munich in 1998/99, when the Red Devils came back from a 1-0 deficit in injury time.

Stam's three years at Old Trafford were very fruitful, but he only managed one goal (Transfermarkt).

Stam was known as a tough and extremely strong defender who didn't back down when fighting for the ball. He often tackled the ball away from his rivals, making him a fearsome opponent for many attackers and one of the 'scariest' defenders of all time.

In 2001, Stam implied in his autobiography 'Head to Head' that United manager Sir Alex Ferguson contacted him without PSV knowing about it. This reportedly led to a conflict with Ferguson, who sold the Dutchman in August 2001.

Italy's Lazio took advantage and signed Stam for €25.75 million, according to Transfermarkt.

That same year, however, Stam failed a drug test for the steroid nandrolone, which earned him an initial five-month ban, which was later reduced to four months, Sky Sports reported.

Stam would eventually stay at Lazio for three seasons and win one Coppa Italia in 2003/04.

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Stam's next stop would be another Italian giant: AC Milan.

He only won the Supercoppa Italiana with the Rossoneri, but that would have been more trophies had it not been for Liverpool, who pulled off a miracle in the 2004/05 Champions League final by coming back from a three-goal deficit.

In the summer of 2006, Stam returned to the Netherlands, where he signed for Ajax.

It was a successful final spell for Stam, who picked up three more trophies and retired in October 2007, per Transfermarkt.

Stam was also a key player for the Dutch national team during his career.

At UEFA Euro 2000, which the Netherlands co-hosted with Belgium, Stam and his compatriots reached the semi-finals. They took on Italy, but were eliminated after a penalty shoot-out in which Stam painfully put his spot kick over the crossbar.

Stam eventually played 67 games for the Netherlands, in which he scored three goals, according to Dutch website OnsOranje.

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In 2009, Stam embarked on a second career with PEC Zwolle as a caretaker manager.

He would also return to Ajax as an assistant and individual coach.

In 2016, Stam embarked on a new English adventure, signing for Championship club Reading. After a successful first campaign, he left the club in March 2018.

After another short spell at PEC Zwolle, Stam was appointed Feyenoord's head coach in mid-2019, but he left after disappointing results in October the same year.

In 2020, Stam explored new horizons in his career when he became manager at FC Cincinnati. However, his MLS adventure ended in September the following year.

Stam was without a club for more than three years, but found a new challenge with Dutch amateur side DOS Kampen, who announced on their website that the former international had signed a contract from July 2024. A remarkable move away from the footballing spotlight.

After a prolific playing career and a less successful period as a manager, Stam is still considered one of the best defenders of his generation. Will he return to the top as a manager?

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