Former Manchester United defender Jaap Stam has been appointed as the new manager at Championship club Reading.

Reading ended Brian McDermott’s second stint as their at the end of the season, six months after appointing the 55-year-old following the club’s disappointing 17th place finish in the Championship.




The club have appointed former Manchester United defender Stam, who was looking to take up first team responsibilities after his three-year stint as assistant coach at Ajax ended at the end of the season, as their manager.

It marks the return of Stam to English football, where he earned his stripes as a player at Manchester United, winning three Premier League titles, an FA Cup and the Champions League with the Red Devils.
 


Following a scouting stint with Manchester United, the former Netherlands defender started his coaching career as assistant to at Dutch club PEC Zwolle.  

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Stam signed a three-year contract with Ajax as an assistant coach and defensive trainer of the first team before the start of the 2013/14 season.

As a player he worked under top managers such as Sir Alex Ferguson, Dick Advocaat, Roberto Mancini, Guus Hiddink, Carlo Ancelotti and Louis van Gaal and will be looking to bring his experience with him to the Madejski Stadium.