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#2 Jaap Stam
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When Sir Alex Ferguson goes out of the way to say that he made a mistake by selling you, then you are special. He was the most expensive defender in history when Manchester United bought him for 10.6 mn.
Jaap Stam was a vital member of that team that won the 1999 Champions League. Dominant in the air, gifted with the feet, he defended in a way no one else did. Stam was as close as Manchester United ever got to the perfect defender.
He was voted the best club defender by UEFA for two consecutive years and won the Johan Cryuff Shield in 1997. He was one of the greatest signings of Sir Alex and was always a cherished figure at Stretford End and even so many years after his departure, his position remains just as strong as it was then.
The most successful part of his career was at Old Trafford where he won three Premier League medals and a Champions League. Although his United career came to a rather sad end, the enigma that Stam was shall never be forgotten. If only his career at Old Trafford hadn’t ended so abruptly, he might have topped this list.
