Stam picks out the four standout Man Utd players he starred alongside at Old Trafford

Former Man Utd defender Jaap Stam has named the four standout players he starred with at Old Trafford during his time at the Premier League club.

The former Netherlands international spent three seasons at Old Trafford before being brutally binned off to Lazio by Sir Alex Ferguson in 2001.

During his time at Man Utd, Stam won three Premier League titles, an FA Cup and a Champions League, while he also won lots of silverware in the Netherlands and Italy during his career.

Stam played with numerous brilliant players during his time at Man Utd but he picked out four names when asked for the best.

Explaining his picks of Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Andy Cole, Stam told Superstar Speakers: “In United? That’s a difficult one because I think we had a great team.

“A very good side and Sir Alex, I think that’s one of his strengths in building a team and getting the right characters and personality within the team, so you know they could perform. So everybody had quality, of course.

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“But there’s always players like Roy, like Scholsey. Scholsey was a hell of a player, a very good player. Keaney of course. Then like I said Roy, Giggsy of course. A very good player. Andy as well.”

Cole and Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer are two of the best strikers that the Premier League has ever seen and when asked to choose between the pair, Stam said: “Oh, that’s also a difficult one.

“They’re not the easiest… I like them both very much.

“You know Shearer, he’s a pain playing against especially when these long balls come from the goalie and he comes from the sides, you don’t see him come and then he’s jumping into you with his elbows as well.

“He’s making that clash. Difficult guy to mark as well. Great goalscorer, great player as well.”

Erik ten Hag has come under pressure in recent months with Man Utd seventh in the Premier League and out of both the Champions League and League Cup.

And Stam gave his verdict last week on his under-pressure compatriot, he said: “I think, in the first season, he did really well. In terms of getting a trophy, an FA Cup final and Champions League football. But not about his way of playing, it was more transition football and not how we know Ten Hag wants to play.

“In the second season, we’ve wanted to see more of his style of play but we haven’t. That’s the difficult one (why there hasn’t been a style of play). I think he’s a good coach and we did ask a few months ago when would we see his style of play and he said he could never play the same way as he did at Ajax over here.

“He’s invested a lot of money in players but are they the right signings for the club, I’m not so sure.”