GARY NEVILLE RECALLS THE 'BIGGEST MISTAKE' MAN UNITED MADE IN THE TRANSFER MARKET UNDER ALEX FERGUSON

Gary Neville has questioned a decision made by Alex Ferguson in August 2001
Ferguson was in charge of Manchester United for 26 years from 1986 to 2013
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Sir Alex Ferguson is widely heralded as the best manager in the history of Manchester United.

In charge from November 1986 to May 2013, he oversaw 1,500 matches - winning 895 of them.

The great Scot delivered 38 trophies to Old Trafford, including 13 Premier League titles and two UEFA Champions Leagues.

He also signed some iconic players, such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Roy Keane, Eric Cantona and Peter Schmeichel.

However, Ferguson was not perfect in the transfer market. Even he made mistakes.

According to ex-United captain Gary Neville on a recent episode of The Overlap, brought to you by Sky Bet, selling Dutch defender Jaap Stam to Lazio in August 2001 was Ferguson's most significant transfer error during his 26-year reign at Old Trafford.

'Jaap was the biggest one where I felt at the time that it was questionable,' recalled Neville. 'And the boss has said it was his biggest mistake, hasn't he, in his book?

'That was the one where I look at that transfer and think, "He's the best centre back in the world. No-one's beating him. No-one's beating Jaap Stam!"'

Former right back Neville played alongside Stam throughout the Dutchman's three-season spell in Manchester.

Stam had various partners in central defence, while Denis Irwin or Phil Neville usually played at left back.

'He was just a powerhouse,' Neville added. 'Me and Denis could go forward, or me and Phil, whoever it was, and you'd leave Jaap at the back with anyone.

'He was a bit like [Virgil] van Dijk at his peak two or three years ago, where he'd just take the ball off you! You can't get past him. A player looks to run at Jaap Stam, and they're just refusing it. They're passing it! That was the one I felt wasn't quite right.'

Stam played in 127 games for United, after arriving from PSV Eindhoven in July 1998.

He was part of the team that won the treble - Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League - in 1999. Stam also lifted the Premier League trophy in each of the following two seasons.

Ferguson sold him after a row on the training ground, while there was also concern about his fitness as he had missed many games in the 2000-01 campaign with an Achilles injury.

Gary Neville was speaking on the Overlap, brought to you by Sky Mobile.

2024-08-28T08:43:45Z dg43tfdfdgfd