Former Premier League defender Ronnie Stam has been jailed for seven years after being found guilty of drug smuggling. Stam, who made 73 appearances for Wigan Athletic and lifted the FA Cup in 2011, faces a heavy sentence after he wanted to import 700kg of cocaine into the Netherlands from Chile.

The 41-year-old and several of his family members were arrested on June 10, 2024, and the Dutch Public Prosecution Service pushed for a 13-year sentence. All of the allegations could not be proven, but Stam still faces strong punishment and a hefty fine after a court ruled that he played a "determining and coordinating role in this".

Stam was aided by his brother and was also said to have stayed in contact with the shipment owner in Dubai.

The drugs were due to arrive in Rotterdam before being intercepted in Chile. A judge said: "They were only concerned with making large amounts of money."

Stam has been described as a household name in the Dutch underworld by his country's Public Prosecution Service.

He was initially charged with his involvement in an operation to smuggle over 2,200kg of cocaine into the Netherlands, which had a street value of £48.6million before being acquitted of two of the more serious charges.

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At the Breda courthouse, Stam was convicted of trafficking over 700kg of cocaine, quantities of MDMA, and possession of nitrous oxide (laughing gas).

Stam admitted his involvement in a plan to smuggle 20kg of cocaine from Brazil to the German city of Frankfurt and claimed he would be paid "an amount worth one kilo".

The prosecution also alleged that the Dutchman was responsible for money laundering to a value of £2.2m.

However, he stressed that the Frankfurt plot was his only contribution and shared his regret over his criminal behaviour.

They reportedly both must pay a £25,871 fine and have around £1.5m in criminal proceeds confiscated.

Before a police investigation revealed that Stam had turned to serious crime, he was an established Dutch footballer.

He spent three years at Wigan after lifting the treble in his homeland in 2010 as part of Steve McClaren's FC Twente side.

Stam later played for Belgian club Standard Liege before returning to the Netherlands with NAC Breda, where he started his career. After 14 years, he retired in 2016.