Editing Jaap Stam (section)

==Playing style==
Considered by several pundits to be one of the best defenders of his generation, as well as one of the greatest Dutch and Premier League defenders in history,<ref name="25 Greatest Centre Backs"/><ref name="50 Greatest Defenders"/><ref name="Defenders in Netherlands"/><ref name="greatest centre-backs in Premier League"/><ref name="Best Central Defenders in Premier League"/> Stam played primarily as a [[Defender (association football)#Centre-back|centre-back]]. He was known for possessing "a rare combination of speed, strength and ball-playing ability",<ref>{{cite news|title=Player Profile|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/euro2000/teams/holland/squad/742254.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|access-date=22 July 2012|date=14 May 2000}}</ref> as well as an excellent positional sense and a powerful shot.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/2004/09/12/shevchenko-appannato-passoni-sempre-lucido.html|title=Shevchenko appannato, Passoni sempre lucido|trans-title=Shevchenko obfuscated, Passoni always lucid|work=La Repubblica|language=it|date=12 September 2004|access-date=14 September 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sslazio.it/it/news/34-news-mobile/54213-gli-olandesi-che-hanno-indossato-la-maglia-della-lazio |title=Gli olandesi che hanno indossato la maglia della Lazio |publisher=www.sslazio.it |language=Italian |date=6 July 2019 |access-date=2 May 2022 }}{{Dead link|date=September 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Due to his wide range of skills, in his prime he was also capable of playing as a [[Defender (association football)#Full-back|full-back]] on the right flank.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/2005/02/07/shevchenko-crespo-san-siro-tra-brividi-gioia.html|title=Shevchenko e Crespo San Siro tra brividi e gioia|work=La Repubblica|language=it|author1=Enrico Currò|date=7 February 2005|access-date=1 February 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gazzetta.it/primi_piani/calcio/2004/pp_1.0.462770353.shtml|title=Stam: "Datemi lo scudetto"|work=La Gazzetta dello Sport|language=it|date=5 August 2004|access-date=10 June 2017}}</ref>