JAAP STAM pinpointed a “lack of winning mentality” as a reason both England and Holland struggle to win major tournaments.
The Manchester United 1999 Treble winner never lifted an international trophy during Holland’s Golden Generation, either side of the new millennium.
While the Three Lions’ drought stretches all the way back to 1966, the Netherlands have yet to add to their 1988 Euro glory.
And all that despite both nations being blessed with some of the world’s finest footballers.
Former centre-back Stam, 52, told SunSport: “If you want to win a tournament, it’s totally different to winning a league because you need to have a certain mentality in your team.
“The Italians have it, the Argentinians have it. England, I don’t know if they have it — they are similar to us!
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“Holland is lacking it and that’s why we never won a tournament. We have a lot of quality but not always that mentality to finish it off.
“We Dutch always seem to lose or lack a little bit of that winning mentality at the end.
“We got very close. In the 2010 World Cup we were in the final and in 2014 the semi-final.
“Other countries don’t start off well but get through the first phase then they’ve got that mentality within that they want to win everything, they want to kill it.”
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And for Stam, who was regarded as one of the greatest defenders of his generation, you either have that winning culture from an early age or it is too late.
He added: “It’s not a thing that you can just say ‘OK, we need to have that so we’re going to work on it and now it’s there’.
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“It needs to start from a young age, it needs to get drilled into your mentality when you’re a young player.”
Asked whether Holland or England have a better chance of triumphing in Germany, Stam said: “I think both have a lot of quality.
“If you compare the two teams and look at the names, you can say, ‘Maybe England has more potential’.
“But Holland have a very good squad as well.”
And bullish Stam says he would have fancied his chances against England aces Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham in his pomp.
He said: “They are different players. Kane is a No 9 who occasionally drops in while Bellingham is wandering around.
“As a defender you have to respect them but I’d not have been scared.”
Meet the ROBOT waiter looking after England stars at the Euros
ENGLAND stars will be served by a ROBOT called Robbie at the Euros.
Robbie is a key part of 160-strong staff at the vast 350-acre leisure site at Blankenhain, eastern Germany, where Gareth Southgate’s squad will be staying for the tournament.
The real-life WALL-E – kitted out in a Germany shirt with the name Kehrbart and the squad number 24 on it – helps out in the restaurant.
Robbie, with flashing blue eyes, says phrases in German including “Excuse me” and “Please let me get on with my work” as he collects dishes from guests at one of the hotel’s six restaurants.
A source told The Sun: “Robbie is usually a slate grey colour with flashing blue eyes and helps staff deliver plates and dishes.
“But the German team stayed at the hotel recently so he was given a new look and new name to support them.
“I’m not sure whether the England team will want to change his look when they arrive but a Three Lions shirt and an English name might be a good idea.”
Find out all about Robbie the robot waiter…
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
