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Kermorgant: We’ll win it for ‘nice guy’ boss Stam LIVE ON SKY SPORTS 1, TOMORROW, KO 3PM
Manchester United legend Stam was renowned for being a bruising, uncompromising defender during his medal-laden playing days.
But Reading striker Kermorgant reckons shedding that tough-man image has helped the treble-winning Dutchman (above right) guide the Royals to the brink of a £170million Premier League jackpot.
Veteran Kermorgant, 35, whose side take on Huddersfield tomorrow in football’s richest shoot-out, with a place in the top-flight at stake, said: “The manager is a nice guy.
“You remember him when he was a player as being very tough, but, as a manager, you have to change because you have to deal with all kinds of different personalities.
“He is great on the training ground and is always willing to listen and talk to the players.
“Everybody can see what he has done this season. We have not spent a lot of money compared to clubs around us.
“He has been amazing and done such a great job with the squad he had, with lots of new players. Just to get to the final is massive and we are all desperate to win it for him.”
Stam’s achievements since taking over at the Madejski Stadium last summer will not have gone unnoticed by rival clubs.
Kermorgant believes the Old Trafford legend is heading for the big time – with or without Reading.
The Frenchman added: “He had a big playing career under manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
“He has everything to be a big manager in the Premier League and will be in demand if we don’t go up.”
Reading had been widely written off before beating Fulham in the semi-finals. Kermorgant’s penalty in the second leg settled that tie, and the former Bournemouth frontman believes all the pressure is on Huddersfield, who were contenders for automatic promotion for much of the season.
Defiant Kermorgant said: “To the people who say we have no chance, we didn’t finish third for nothing.
“We have no pressure and we know we have overachieved. A position in the top 10 would have been a good season. But we know what we are capable of.”
Kermorgant, who knows next season will be his last, after announcing his retirement, scored 18 goals to help secure Reading’s play-off spot.
He admits he feared his chance to play in the Premier League had gone when he was let go by Bournemouth, following their promotion from the Championship two years ago.
He added: “With Bournemouth, at the start of the season when we won the Championship title, I had known we would challenge for promotion.
“This season it was not really in my thoughts – and I would have been happy with finishing mid-table.
“That means going up now would be even bigger than last time.
“If we can win the play-offs and get into the Premier League, it would be so unexpected.
“And to think I could be playing against my old club Bournemouth next season is unbelievable.
“I have won promotion twice, with Charlton and Bournemouth, but never in the play-offs, so this would be even better than those times.”
Tomorrow will be Kermorgant’s first taste of Wembley.
“I have never been to Wembley,” he said. “I have had opportunities to go and watch events there, but I didn’t want to go, as I believed one day I would play there.
“Now, I’m so close to realising that dream. These are the best games to play as a footballer, so I want to perform well and hope that I end up on the winning side.”