[redbabies]

In a shock move, Ajax captain and renowned defender Jaap Stam has retired from football at the age of 35...

Hours after missing Ajax's trip to FC Utrecht for personal reasons, it has transpired that Jaap Stam has played his last game of professional football.

The 35 year old defender is set to call it quits after a career that's seen him represent the likes of AC Milan and Manchester United.

Dutch daily De Telegraaf claims that Ajax technical director Martin van Geel will hold a press conference today at 13:15 local time in which he will announce Stam's decision to leave the beautiful game.

Stam, who played 67 times for the Dutch national team, broke through to the senior game with FC Zwolle in the 1992/93 season.

From there, he moved to Cambuur Leeuwarden and then Willem II Tilburg before making a high-profile switch to PSV Eindhoven.

It was at the Philipps Stadion where he really made his name and, with a host of top clubs looking for his signature, he eventually transferred to legendary English side Manchester United in 1998.

He spent three years at Old Trafford, lifting both the Premiership and Champions League trophies with the Red Devils, before moving on yet again, this time to SS Lazio.

While he continued to win plaudits for his no-nonsense central defensive performances, the controversial Dutchman underwent a four month ban after an anti-doping committee found traces of the banned substance nandrolone in his system.

Nonetheless, after serving out his punishment, he went to AC Milan after Euro 2004, spending 18 months with the rossoneri before taking up the offer of the captaincy at Ajax.

And now, it seems that this chapter in his career is over, too, with no new ones left to come.


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Goal
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[dst]

Thank you Jaap Stam!! (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/sleep.gif)