Wednesday 7 December 2016 08:20, UK
Jaap Stam says it would be "nice" to talk to former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson ahead of a return to Old Trafford in the FA Cup next month.
The Dutchman will take his Reading side to face United in the third round of the competition at the start of January which means going back to the club where he won three Premier League titles and was a member of the side which won the treble in 1999.
Stam took over at the Madejski Stadium in the summer after coaching spells with Zwolle and Ajax, leading Reading to third in the Sky Bet Championship, and he says it would be good to speak with Ferguson now that he is a manager in his own right.
"I haven't heard from Sir Alex since I came here but I do think it would be nice to talk to him," Stam told the Daily Mail.
"Now, as a manager, I think of the way he spoke to the group, how he affected the team at certain moments."
Stam joined Lazio in 2001 before spells at AC Milan and Ajax, but Ferguson has since admitted that selling the defender at that stage in his career was a mistake. However, the 44-year-old said the move to Serie A gave him a chance to learn more about the game.
"I was enjoying myself at United. I had signed a new contract the season before. I had no intention of moving. Everyone knows how it went," he said.
"I still think I had my best spell in football at Lazio and Milan because you get to a certain age and you know everything you need to do in every situation. I have worked in England, Italy and Holland and that gives me a great blend of knowledge."
Stam is one of a number of former United players who have had spells in management since retiring, following the likes of Roy Keane, who enjoyed mixed success at club level with Sunderland and Ipswich.
While Stam does not believe being a leader on the pitch as a player guarantees success as a boss, he reckons Keane can still be a "great manager".
He said: "A lot of people point and say, 'he's going to be a manager'. I always find that hard. You have certain players who talk a lot but are they saying the right things? Just because someone has a certain presence, it doesn't mean he will be a great manager. No. Being a manager is totally different to being a player and shouting in the dressing room.
"A lot of people talk a lot about football on TV. A lot of people can say he played well or didn't play well. I still think Roy can be a great manager. I've not seen him in that environment. I only know him as a player. It's not like years ago when you could give everyone a rollicking and that's that. It doesn't work like that. It's not an easy job."
