KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 1 (Bernama) -- Major European football clubs should consider investing directly in Malaysia by establishing their own academies, said former Manchester United defender Jaap Stam.
Stam is in Kuala Lumpur alongside former football stars including John Arne Riise, Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen and Alessandro Del Piero to promote the AllStar Legends five-a-side match, which will be held on Oct 3 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre.
Asked whether European clubs should establish and operate their own academies in Malaysia, beyond existing partnerships with local entities, Stam agreed that such an approach should be considered.
“I think it’s great to collaborate. It’s very important to invest in academies,” he told a press conference held in conjunction with the AllStar Legends event here today.
The former Netherlands international, who later moved into football management, said greater emphasis should be placed on academy development to provide young players with a pathway to first-team football.
Echoing Stam’s views, former Liverpool defender John Arne Riise stressed the importance of a long-term approach for European clubs seeking to establish a stronger presence in Malaysia, rather than limiting their involvement to one-off engagements.
“I believe in long-term thinking. No matter what you do, I believe in thinking long term,” he said.
Malaysia currently has several football academies affiliated with European clubs, including Villarreal, Real Madrid and Liverpool, which operate through partnerships or licensing arrangements with local entities rather than being directly operated by the clubs themselves.
Meanwhile, the AllStar Legends match will pit the Premier League Legends against the World Legends, with the former featuring Gerrard, Owen, Ryan Giggs, Eidur Gudjohnsen, David Bentley, Danny Simpson and Riise.
Stam, meanwhile, will feature for the World Legends side alongside Del Piero, Dida, Javier Saviola, Fernando Morientes, Diego Capel and Gregory van der Wiel.
-- BERNAMA