STAM’S TREBLE CHANCE
Royals win would rank high
JAAP STAM admits leading Reading to the Premier League will be as good as winning the Treble with Manchester United.
The Royals will return to the top flight for the first time since 2013 if they beat Huddersfield at Wembley on Monday.
It would complete an extraordinary first season in English football management for Stam, who ® helped United to a trio of trophies 18 years ago.
The Dutchman, 44, said: “To succeed in taking Reading to the Premier League would be one of my biggest achievements.
“It is the start of my career as a manager and for the club, the ambition was to eventually go back into the Premier League. “You need to have a certain structure in achieving that and that’s what we spoke about at the start of the season.
“Nobody expected us to finish in the top six this season.
Spark
“We did it because of the quality we have in every rank within the club, in the staff and people working around the club, but also within the team.
“If you can work with your players in that team and find the spark to make a player or the team better, you get results.
“Results give confidence and that gets bigger and makes it easier to get results.
“Sometimes you have setbacks and lose by big scores. But sometimes that is good as it brings you down to earth.”
Despite finishing third, Reading are considered outsiders by the bookies.
Stam added: “It’s nice to be the underdog. I’m interested in my team and will do everything I can to get a result. What people think and write is up to them.
“I don’t mind people talking in a certain way, but we are working as a team and focused on improving and making it to the Premier League.
“But if people want to make other teams their favourites, it is good by me.”