‘Ruben Amorim should get Man Utd successful now – I’d love to assist coach his defence’
A Manchester United legend has admitted he would jump at the chance to return to Old Trafford in a coaching capacity and warned Ruben Amorim’s time at the club could be short-lived
Manchester United legend Jaap Stam has expressed his willingness to return to Old Trafford, 23 years after his notorious exit.
The Dutchman, who had a three-season stint as a player at the club, is keen to help restore the glory days at the Red Devils, who have been on a downward trajectory ever since his old manager Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
The appointment of Ruben Amorim in November ignited a wave of hope, especially following the team’s 2-1 triumph over struggling Manchester City earlier this month. However, losses to Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham, Bournemouth and Wolves have left United in freefall, indicating there’s a lot of work to be done to get United back to their trophy-winning best.
In a chat with Sports Lens, Stam, who has previously managed Feyenoord and Reading, extended an offer to assist the Red Devils, reports the Express. “I’d love to coach at Manchester United but they haven’t picked up the phone,” he revealed.
“I think everyone who has been associated with the club would love to go back and help. Having been in management myself I have coached and helping them in any role would be great.
“I’m always open for talks because I’d love to see the club back winning trophies and maybe I could help coach the defence, but with the manager lots of new staff have come in so they have plenty of options. But you never know.”
United are currently 14th in the Premier League, marking the first time they’ve been in the bottom half of the table on Christmas Day since 1989. Stam acknowledged that his old club is going through a “transition period”, but hinted that even new manager Amorim’s position could be in jeopardy if the team’s performance doesn’t improve.
The 52-year-old said: “Everyone is hoping that Manchester United can compete for the Premier League next season and the manager will as well, but in the meantime it’s very important to win matches and climb up the table.
“It’s a transition period and the players need time to adapt, but there is still pressure to win matches with his new style and to be in a decent position in the table. Ruben Amorim will be working hard to see which players best suit his system but until then there will be a lot of change.”
Stam signed for United in 1998 from PSV, becoming the world’s most expensive defender at the time with a £10.6million transfer fee. He was a key player in Ferguson’s team, contributing to the club’s historic Treble win in his first season.
He went on to clinch the Premier League title twice more before a controversial move to Lazio in 2001. Ferguson later confessed that letting Stam go was one of his biggest managerial blunders.
After retiring from professional football in 2007, Stam carved out a successful career in coaching. He cut his teeth as an assistant at PEC Zwolle and later Ajax, before taking the reins of Jong Ajax (Ajax’s reserve team) in 2014.
In 2016, he took over Championship side Reading, guiding them to the play-offs in his debut season. However, after a dismal run of just one victory in 18 games, he resigned in 2018.
Subsequent managerial stints included PEC Zwolle, Feyenoord and FC Cincinnati, and he currently helms Dutch sixth tier outfit DOS Kampen.
