Premiership: Stam will 'never return' to Old Trafford

Former Manchester United defender Jaap Stam has said he will never return to Old Trafford - even if manager Sir Alex Ferguson begged him to.

The Dutch centre-back, who was sold for ‘‘football reasons’’ according to Ferguson despite Stam’s departure coinciding with the serialisation of his controversial book, has made an immediate impact for Italian club Lazio and has already ruled out ever going back to the defending Premiership champions.

‘‘Everybody is convinced that my transfer is the worst deal of the summer,’’ he told Dutch e-magazine Sportweek Online.

‘‘Friends and people in England tell me that over and over again.

‘‘I shall never return to that club. Not even if they would beg me on their knees. United is a closed book for me.’’

However, Stam refused to be drawn on the current difficulties his former team-mates are experiencing in the Premier League.

‘‘When I was still playing at Old Trafford, we won almost everything we could win,’’ said the Dutchman, who had helped Lazio keep six clean sheets in 11 games.

‘‘Since I left I have seen that many things go wrong. Especially in defence.

‘‘You can imagine how I feel about that, but I think it is better if I don’t speak about it.’’