Ex-Premier League star and FA Cup winner jailed for seven years over drug smuggling probe

Former Wigan Athletic defender Ronnie Stam has been sentenced to seven years in prison after being found guilty of drug smuggling.

Stam, who won the FA Cup with the Latics in 2013, wanted to import 700kg worth of cocaine from Chile.

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A court ruled he plated a ‘determining and coordinating role in this’, and he remained in contact with the shipment owner in Dubai.

The drugs were set to arrive in Rotterdam before being intercepted in Chile, with Stam also being aided by his brother.

They must both pay a €30,000 fine and have around €1.7million in criminal proceeds confiscated, as per De Telegraaf.

A judge said: “They were only concerned with making large amounts of money.”

Stam and several of his family members were arrested on June 10 last year.

The Public Prosecution Service demanded a 13-year sentence, but not all of the allegations were proven.

Stam was formerly part of the Feyenoord academy before returning to boyhood club NAC Breda in 2002.

He later joined FC Twente and won the 2009/10 Eredivisie title, with ex-England boss Steve McLaren as their manager.

A move to Wigan followed after the title triumph, where he made 73 appearances in all competitions.

Stam made four appearances in their FA Cup winning run in the 2012/13 campaign.

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However, he did not feature in the 1-0 win over Manchester City in the final.

The right-back left Wigan in 2013 for Belgian side Standard Liege, and then returned to NAC Breda two years later.

However, he retired from football in 2016 amid recurring injury issues.

Stam received one call-up to the Netherlands national team, but missed a friendly against Ukraine due to injury.

Throughout his career, he made 358 senior appearances across all of his clubs, scoring ten goals and assisting 26.