New Reading manager Jaap Stam has revealed that he spoke to fellow Dutchmen Ronald Koeman and Guus Hiddink for their advice before accepting the job at the Madejski Stadium.
The 43-year-old was officially named as the Championship club's new boss on Monday afternoon.
Stam, who was part of Manchester United's treble-winning side in 1999, has signed a two-year deal with the Royals, whose previous manager Brian McDermott lasted just six months in his second spell in charge.
During his unveiling at a press conference, Stam told reporters: "I spoke to Koeman and Hiddink about the job. It's important to talk to different people. I asked them what you need to know. You need to use the advice you get."
When asked about the job at hand, the Dutchman said: "We know quite a lot about the Championship. I am very ambitious. It's not going to be easy to get back to the Premier League.
"We are going to work our best. We're going to talk to the squad after the press conference, and see what we need to do. The challenge is to implement your own style of play. You need to have a big squad to be competitive. You need to get the maximum out of the players and the team."
Reading finished 17th in the league last season.
Danielle Joynson
