Memory Lane calls for Stam

By Brian Brownstein

When the news filtered through that AC Milan had drawn Manchester United FC in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League, defender Jaap Stam could only shrug his shoulders. The former Old Trafford favourite had seen it coming. He told uefa.com: "I just felt it in my bones that it was a match waiting to happen.

United premonition
"I was at the Milanello training ground when the draw was made, and a member of staff came rushing over to me immediately to let me know that United were our opponents. To be honest, I had a feeling beforehand that we'd get them so I wasn't at all surprised."

Old Trafford hero
A United player from 1998-2001, Stam helped them win an unprecedented treble of the Premiership title, the FA Cup and the Champions League in his first season at Old Trafford, as Sir Alex Ferguson's men grabbed the European crown with a last-gasp win against FC Bayern München in Barcelona.

Fond return
"It will be really nice to finally go back to Old Trafford because I haven't returned since my departure three and a half years ago," he said. "My move to Lazio all happened so quickly that I never had a proper chance to say goodbye to a lot of friends that I'd made and also to the fans who had been so fantastic to me during my time in Manchester.

'Nice reception'
"I have always wanted to go back to Old Trafford to face United, so I am very pleased with the draw from a personal point of view. I hope that I get a nice reception from the fans because they all meant so much to me when I was a United player. They were great to me and I loved playing for them. We had a really good rapport."

Injury blues
Stam suffered an ankle tendon injury in November and as a consequence has only appeared in two of Milan's Champions League matches this term, helping them to clean sheets in victories against FC Shakhtar Donetsk and FC Barcelona. Last season's Serie A winners conceded three goals in their final four games in Group F without the centre-back, and despite winning their group, are hoping he will return in time to make the trip to England.

'Special occasions'
Stam himself is confident he will be on the plane. "If I don't suffer any unexpected setbacks between now and the third week of February, I should be fit to face my old club and that is definitely something nice for me to look forward to," he said. "The two matches are bound to be special occasions because it's not often that two such huge clubs face each other in such an important match."

Old team-mates
If Stam is passed fit to play at Old Trafford, he could be up against his former international colleague Ruud van Nistelrooij. The lethal striker is in a race against time to be fit for the tie having been laid low by a serious achilles injury. However, Stam will not believe his Dutch colleague is out of the match until he sees the team sheet on the night.

Assuming nothing
"If Ruud isn't fit to play against us it would undoubtedly be a bonus, but we're not thinking that way yet," he said. "I'm going to assume that he will be fit until he fails to be named on the team sheet because I know for a fact that United will be doing everything in their power to make sure he's involved."