Jaap Stam’s perfect XI

Jaap Stam had to leave Man United after a big row with Sir Alex Ferguson. In his biography “Head to Head” Stam had spilled the inside-dressing room beans about Sir Alex and the result was a red card.

Since then, the rift has been repaired. Recently, Sir Alex admitted that sending away Stam was the decision he regrets most and last week Stam declared in football magazine FourFourTwo that Sir Alex would be his dream coach for his dream team. “He has the gift to gel a top team together every season.”

Stam was asked to create his Perfect Eleven. In goal, we see Gianluigi Buffon, who keeps Sar on the bench. Cafu is rightback, Nesta and Maldini play center backs with Roberto Carlos on the left. Del Piero, Roy Keane and Zinedine Zidane are Stam’s ideal midfielders, completed by Luis Figo. The two strikers are Dennis Bergkamp and Romario.

Stam: “Bergkamp was not from this world. He knew exactly where his team mates were and what the ball would do. And Romario’s individual skills are just superb. A great duo to have up front.”

The benchwarmers in Stam’s team are Van der Sar, Tony Adams, Kaka, Ronaldo and Xavi.

No Kuyt. No Castelen…