Jaap Stam Names 2 Hardest Footballers He Played Against

Jaap Stam is notoriously known as one of the toughest footballers of all-time and now, he’s revealed the two hardest players that he ever came up against. Remembered most for his stint at Manchester United in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the former centre-back was a menacing figure in the heart of defence.

He dominated from the back and caused all sorts of problems for opposition forwards. He was hard-hitting, tough as nails and shone for the Red Devils during one of their most dominant periods under Sir Alex Ferguson. Many ex-pros have labelled Stam as one of the toughest opponents they ever came up against, including Dennis Bergkamp and Alan Shearer. Now, the Dutchman has named the hardest footballers he faced off against on the pitch himself.

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Stam Named Duncan Ferguson One of the Toughest Opponents He Had

He also picked Jan Koller

Considering his status as one of football’s all-time biggest hard men, Stam’s opinion on the subject of tough players holds a lot of weight. Speaking to SPORTbible via Makthavare.se, he was asked who the hardest players he ever came up against were and he named Duncan Ferguson and Jan Koller. The former spent the majority of his career with Everton and earned a reputation for being as hard as they come, while the latter was an imposing figure up front of used his bulky frame to bully defenders and became Czech Republic’s top goalscorer. When discussing his toughest ever opponents, Stam said:

The former United man faced off against Ferguson in the Premier League during the Scot’s stint at Goodison Park, while he only ever competed against Koller on an international level, when the Netherlands met the Czech Republic. Still, both men clearly left a lasting impression on Stam, who remembers their impact decades after he played against them.

Starting off his career at Dundee United, Ferguson spent time with Rangers, Everton and Newcastle United over the years and his aggressive style of play made him infamous on the pitch. He picked up nine red cards during his playing days, an astounding number considering he was a striker and Ferguson is considered the hardest player in Premier League history.

Koller wasn’t quite as aggressive as Ferguson, but he was a physically imposing forward and regularly used his strength and lofty frame to get the better of his opponents. He was a centre-back’s worst nightmare and played for teams such as Borussia Dortmund and AS Monaco during his career.

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt and accurate as of 21/03/2025