Stam made his debut for the Netherlands on 24 April 1996 in a 1–0 friendly defeat to Germany in Rotterdam. He was not initially chosen for UEFA Euro 1996, but was later added to the squad after an injury ruled out Frank de Boer; he did not however make any appearances at the tournament. He scored his first goal on 6 September 1997 in a 3–1 home win over rivals Belgium in World Cup qualification. He was also an important player in the Dutch team that finished fourth in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. During UEFA Euro 2000, he once again reached the semi-finals with the Dutch team, hosted in his home country and Belgium. Stam missed his attempt in the penalty shoot-out in the semi-finals, hitting the ball over the bar in a defeat against Italy. He was not originally scheduled to take a penalty, but had to due to substitutions and fatigue among his teammates. Stam reached his third semi-finals in an international competition with his nation at UEFA Euro 2004 in Portugal and retired from international football after the tournament. The reason cited for his international retirement was that he wanted to focus on his new team, Milan, as well as his family. In total, he played 67 matches for the Netherlands, scoring three goals. Playing style Considered by several pundits to be one of the best defenders of his generation, as well as one of the greatest Dutch and Premier League defenders in history, Stam played primarily as a centre-back. He was known for possessing "a rare combination of speed, strength and ball-playing ability", as well as an excellent positional sense, and a powerful shot. Due to his wide range of skills, in his prime he was also capable of playing as a full-back on the right flank. Post-playing career In October 2008, Stam returned to Manchester United as a scout for the club, responsible for most of South America. Soccer Aid Stam has been involved with Soccer Aid, which puts celebrities and football legends together in two teams (England and Rest of the World) for a charity game in aid of UNICEF. Stam has appeared in five Soccer Aid matches 2008, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018. Coaching and managerial career In 2009, Stam became an assistant coach for PEC Zwolle, and on 30 October was appointed caretaker manager. Following his stint with Zwolle, Stam penned