Reading FC: Read Jaap Stam's press conference in full ahead of FA Cup clash against Manchester United

The 44-year-old Dutchman cut a relaxed and confident figure as spoke to national and local media about his first return to Old Trafford as a manager.

Here is the press conference in full:

You must be relishing a trip back to Old Trafford?

JS: “Yes, we're looking forward to it. Everyone wants to play these games and eventually everyone wants to play at their level.

“It's a moment for the players to show themselves and where they are individually and as a team.

“Of course, we are realistic, we know we will be facing a very strong United team in front of 80,000 at Old Trafford.

“It's not going to be easy but we have nothing to lose.

“Players must give everything they can and hope for a bit of luck.”

Are you expecting a warm welcome?

JS: “It would be nice, but I'm not expecting anything to be fair.

“I had a great time there, it was an important time in my career.

“I haven't been back for an occasion like this before, but it's not about me it's about the team.”

Do you expect Jose Mourinho to put out a strong side?

JS: “He's a manager who always wants to win trophies. Maybe he'll make a couple of changes, but I think he also wants to win this game.

“He may use some young players but there will also be experienced players on the pitch.

“It will be a strong side we will be facing, but we are ready for it.”

What advice will you give your players to help them block out the United fans?

JS: “It can be an intimidating place to go, but there's nothing better than playing in a stadium like that in front of so many supporters.

“We will have our own fans there as well and hopefully they will support us well and help the boys out.

“Players need to enjoy it and hopefully they will show themselves on the pitch and not worry about what's happening in the stands.

“I understand that players can suffer from nerves, but we give them confidence to believe in what they do.”

How important is the FA Cup to Reading this season?

JS: “Very important. Playing Manchester United makes it difficult to get to the next round but you want to do well in every competition.

“Cup games are strange, anything can happen. We need to be patient and decisive at the right times.”

Will you adapt your style for this game?

JS: “We are not going to change anything. There are certain details you can change, but we still want to have a lot of possession and we still want to play.

“We are not going to change our style for this game because it has brought us good results.

“You may think a little different for games like this one, but most things will stay the same.”

You must be counting down the hours to kick off now?

JS: “It's nice to have a rest between games, but we are ready for it now.

“We know United are in form and it doesn't matter who plays for them because they have so much quality.

“But we have confidence as well and we believe in ourselves.”

Will going back to Old Trafford be the proudest moment of your managerial career so far?

JS: “It will be if we get a result.

“I'm at the start of my coaching career and I want to keep winning games and reach the highest level as I did as a player.

“You always need to have hunger for more success.”

Does Reading's league position control your team selection on Saturday?

JS: “No. We play on Saturday then we have a few days to prepare for QPR the following Thursday, so it won't influence my selection.

“We'll put out a strong team and I think United will as well.”

Will you tinker with your formation?

JS: “Of course you think about these things, but one of our strengths is to believe in ourselves and play possession football.

“United will try and do something about that, but we believe in what has worked for us this season. We will give it our best shot.”

Would you like to manage Manchester United one day?

JS: “That's a tricky question.

“Everyone wants to work at the highest level. I've played there and I know what's needed to get there.

“Being a manager is totally different to being a player. You need to start at the bottom and I did that in Holland and now I've come to the Championship which is a great level.

“Hopefully we can do well with Reading and go up to the Premier League. It may take time to get there because we are trying to build something here.

“It's not like I need to be in the Premier League next season, I like my work with Reading and I am enjoying myself.

“The chance also has to be there to manage in the Premier League because a lot of great managers never had that.”

Do you see the FA Cup as the greatest cup competition in the world?

JS: “Yes I do. I've played in cups in Holland and Italy but the FA Cup is a great tournament.

“The fact smaller teams can play big clubs is a great thing.”

Will the hard part be telling some of your players they will not be in the Reading team?

JS: “Sometimes you don't need to tell players that, because they know themselves.

“Our players know how we work. We look at the opposition and change things and we also look at how the players act within our group.

“This is a special game and of course I can imagine everyone wants to play, but they need to be realistic, and they are.”

So does your team pick itself at the moment?

JS: “Sometimes it does, yes.

“Like I say, you may change things depending on the opposition you are playing, but that's about all.”

How serious is Callum Harriott's hamstring injury?

JS: “He's got a bad hamstring injury. He will have another scan so we can have another look at him, but he's going to be out for a long time I think.”

Do you feel you have momentum now?

JS: “We've won the last three games. We lost the one before that but won five leading up to it, so overall we've done well.

“We've got a good squad but we haven't reached the level where we say we can win every game because we are always facing good Championship teams with budgets maybe 10 or 15 times bigger than ours.

“We are realistic. We are creative in terms of bringing in players and how we play.

“We also have a good unity in the squad and that's very important.”

You won the FA Cup with Manchester United in 1999 as part of the treble-winning team. Which player from that United side would you bring to Reading?

JS: “The best players don't always win trophies.

“We had a great team back them with a lot of quality, but we also had determination and mentality. We kept each other on our toes.

“But it's a difficult question because if I name someone my players may start thinking they are not good enough.

“We had a lot of quality in that United team, but I am happy with the players I have at Reading because they are doing a great job, so I'm not going to pick anyone from that United side.”

How does the current Manchester United squad compare to the one you played in?

JS: “It's a very good squad. They play differently to how we played because the Premier League is different now to how it once was.

“They have spent a fair bit of money and they have the players to be successful.

“Jose Mourinho also has a lot of experience and he'll be looking to strengthen the team again to get where he wants to be.

“He wants to win the Premier League, the Champions League, the FA Cup – he wants to win everything. That's what I like about him.

“With the squad they have now, I think they can win the league.”

Are you looking forward to testing yourself against Jose Mourinho?

JS: “He's up there, I'm down here.

“I still need to improve a lot as a manager so there is no comparison between us.

“He's a quality manager and I can learn a lot from him in terms of how he works.”

Are you looking forward to seeing Manchester United fans again?

JS: “Yes, hopefully they will support me on Saturday. I know they still sing my song up there and hopefully it tells you something about how I performed.”