Manchester United’s treble-winning squad had some of the greatest players to ever exist in the club’s history.
The likes of Paul Scholes, Roy Keane, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer are all legendary figures who will go down as some of the best to ever do it for the Red Devils.
The beauty of that United side had to be the fact that a lot of the players in the first-team squad were academy products. This made the whole aura surrounding the treble win that much more special.
But there was one prominent figure in the Manchester United treble-winning side who was signed that season and was absolutely essential as Sir Alex Ferguson pulled off the seemingly impossible.
Alan Shearer on Jaap Stam
Speaking on the Match Of The Day Top 10’s, Micah Richards, Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker all sat down to speak about the best ‘first season stars’ in Premier League history.
This was based on players coming over on a transfer, or in fact breaking through to a first team and making an instant impact.
Both Shearer and Richards agreed that the towering Dutch defender of Jaap Stam sat in their top five. Shearer described how it was to play against the ‘brilliant’ defender.
“I played against him yeah,” Shearer began. “He was brilliant. Strong, quick and a good reader of the game.
“30 appearances he made that season in the Premier League. Then obviously winning the treble in your first season – that’s not bad, is it?”
Jaap Stam’s treble-winning season at Manchester United
In Jaap Stam’s first season at Manchester United, the Dutch defender made one hell of an impact.
Signed by Sir Alex Ferguson in the summer of 1998 from PSV Eindhoven for a then-record fee for a defender, Stam took little to no time settling in at Old Trafford.
His commanding presence at the heart of United’s defence brought stability and resilience to the backline – which led to a formidable partnership with Ronny Johnsen.
The 1998-99 campaign proved to be historic for Manchester United, as they clinched an unprecedented treble, winning the Premier League, FA Cup, and the Champions League.
Stam’s defensive contributions were pivotal throughout the season, with many memorable moments throughout the campaign, including a goal-line clearance against Liverpool in the FA Cup and his commanding Champions League displays.
The often-forgotten treble winner, with The Guardian not even giving him a sniff in their memorable players, was a huge part of United’s successes and will definitely go down as one of the best defenders in the club’s history.
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