First Timers: Jaap Stam

Jaap Stam (Manchester United, 1998)

Signed from PSV Eindhoven for £10.75million, a world record fee for a defender... made his debut in 3-0 Charity Shield defeat against Arsenal... ended the season a cornerstone of United's unique treble of Premiership, FA Cup and Champions League.

Sir Alex Ferguson's obsession with winning the Champions League moved him to sign Stam with the old central defensive partnership of Gary Pallister and Steve Bruce at an end.

The pressure of being the 'last piece in the jigsaw' clearly told on the Dutchman right at the start though and he suffered a nightmare debut against the pace of Marc Overmars and Nicolas Anelka.

Stam and defensive partner Ronnie Johnsen weren't on the same wavelength at all as Overmars, Anelka and Christopher Wreh scored in front of a 67,000 crowd at Wembley.

The critics were quick to write Stam off as a waste of money but he had the last laugh, at the end of the season he and Johnsen had won the League championship, FA Cup and Champions League.

Stam won three Premiership titles in three seasons at Old Trafford but was sold to Lazio at the start of 2001/02 after the release of his controversial autobiography.

Trophies/awards at Man Utd

3 League Championships 1998/99, 99/00, 00/01
1 Champions League 1999
1 FA Cup 1999

Jaap Stam

Nationality: Dutch 
Date of Birth: 17 July 1972 
Place of Birth: Kampen, The Netherlands 
Height: 6' 03''
Weight: 15 01  Position: Defender