He signed for Wigan Athletic on 30 July 2010 on a three-year contract. The fee was rumoured to be around £2 million. Stam made his debut in a friendly match against Real Zaragoza. He scored his first goal for Wigan against Bolton Wanderers on 5 January 2011. In the aftermath of his transfer, Stam announced in May 2011 that he had gone to court because Twente still owed him €150,000 as part of the transfer conditions. On 22 November 2011, the subdistrict court ruled in his favour. Stam won the FA Cup with Wigan in 2013. It was the first time in the tournament's history that the club advanced to beyond the quarter-finals. Stam himself only came into action in the Round of 16. Stam played for Wigan for three seasons, suffering relegation from the Premier League in his final year.