Following competing in the Premier League with Chelsea, Leeds United, and Middlesbrough, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink took up his boots in 2008 after a season in the Championship with Cardiff City.
Hasselbaink had a successful playing career, but he only managed to win one trophy—the Portuguese Cup with Boavista—and was unlucky to lose the Copa del Rey final to Atletico Madrid, the FA Cup to Chelsea and Cardiff, and the UEFA Cup final to Middlesbrough.
He participated in the 1998 FIFA World Cup finals and appeared on 23 occasions for the Netherlands national team, scoring nine goals.
After his playing career came to an end, Hasselbaink transitioned into teaching and was named first team coach at Nottingham Forest, where he worked with his former Middlesbrough boss Steve McLaren.
When Burton Albion of League Two hired him as their manager 18 months later, he returned to England and led the team to promotion as champions in just his first season.
Due to his success at Burton, it was only a matter of time before bigger clubs started calling, and in December 2015, he accepted the manager’s position at Championship team Queens Park Rangers.
Sadly, he failed at Loftus Road and was fired in November 2016 after a run of bad performances left his team in the Championship’s bottom half, only six points from relegation.
Hasselbaink rejoined Burton Albion as a manager in January 2021, marking the end of a five-year absence from the coaching profession. He frequently makes guest appearances as a commentator on television networks like Sky Sports News and ITV in between taking on managerial positions.
