Premiership: Stam - Fergie made 'illegal approach' to get me

Jaap Stam has claimed Sir Alex Ferguson made an "unofficial approach" for him prior to his £10.75m move from PSV Eindhoven.

Stam arrived at Old Trafford in the summer of 1998 and went on to help Manchester United win the Treble of Champions League, Premiership and FA Cup.

However, in a book, Stam revealed a secret meeting with Ferguson.

"We had to keep everything under wraps, so the club (PSV) didn't find out about the unofficial approach," he said.

Stam's agent Tom van Dalen arranged the meeting and was the only other person present.

"Fergie was on holiday in France with his wife at the time, and on the flight back to Manchester he stopped by in Amsterdam to meet with us," said van Dalen.

"I had arranged the meeting in an apartment near the airport because we didn't want to go to a hotel in case there was even the remotest chance somebody might see us."

Ferguson's meeting with Stam, at an apartment near Amsterdam's Schipol airport allegedly broke the transfer regulations which state that a player's club must be approached first.

The manager, knighted for his services to football and in the last season of his 15-year United reign, could now face the prospect of investigation by the game's governing bodies.

Stam said: "We spent most of our 30 minutes just talking about what my plans were and how he'd like me to come to Old Trafford.

"There was no discussion about positional play, contracts or money. I guess he just wanted to meet me and see what kind of guy I was.

"He strode into the room, full of confidence and smiling broadly.

"'Jaap, I want you to play for Manchester United,' he said. 'I want you to command our back line and help us to win the Champions' League'.

"I was afraid he might have left the room with the wrong impression of me. At that time my English wasn't good and I could hardly understand his thick Scottish accent.

"Fergie's passion was overwhelming and he was clever enough not to try the hard sell on me."

Stam, who played in United's Charity Shield defeat by Liverpool, added: "It didn't take long to agree personal terms and soon after the medical, I was a United player."

Premier League regulations forbid any club from making a direct or indirect approach to a contracted player at another club without permission.