Darmian: Stam Was World Class

Matteo Darmian has two clubs in common with Saturday's opposition manager Jaap Stam – not only Manchester United but also AC Milan.

The Reds' Italian defender and the Reading boss have both worn the famous red and black stripes and called San Siro their home, and they were with the Serie A giants at the same time, albeit when Darmian was in the academy while Stam was a first-team star.

"Yes, when I was young, Stam was playing for AC Milan. I think he was a brilliant defender, one of the best in the world," Darmian told United Review, the official programme for Saturday's match.

"Unfortunately I didn’t have any contact with him but I trained a lot with his team-mate Paolo Maldini, my idol. Maldini was a great defender and I tried to learn everything from him."

Stam brings Reading to Old Trafford for an intriguing tie in the FA Cup third round, the stage of the competition that pitted Darmian and his team-mates against another visiting team from outside the Premier League, Sheffield United, 12 months ago. 

"It was not an easy game because I think Sheffield United played with 11 players around the box," recalled Matteo, who made his first ever appearance in the Cup that day.

"It was difficult to find some space but at the end we won with a penalty in the last minute. The most important thing was the victory."

Several rounds later, Darmian was a Cup winner at the end of his debut campaign with United and naturally he's looking to repeat the success this season.

"Every time I see my medal I think of not just the final but of all the matches we won to get there," he said. "And of course it gives us confidence and we want to win as many trophies as possible. I want to win the Cup again, the club's 13th FA Cup."