Hasselbaink: Jerrel (Jimmy-Floyd)

1997-1999 (Player Details)

Centre Forward

Born: Paramaribo, Surinam: 27-03-1972

Debut: v Arsenal (h): 09-08-1997

5’10” 13st 10lb (2007)

#27 in 100 Greatest LUFC Players Ever

Hasselbaink began his football career in the Netherlands, first with SC Telstar for whom he played until 1991, and then AZ Alkmaar. He stayed at Alkmaar for three seasons before being released by the club and ended up playing Non-League football with Neerlandia on an amateur basis. He signed for Portuguese side Campomaiorense in August 1995, scoring twelve times in thirty-one appearances, but, after only one season, Hasselbaink was signed by Boavista where he first came to prominence. He scored twenty goals in nineteen starts, and ten appearances from the bench, in the League for the club as well as helping them win the Portuguese Cup. His scoring exploits brought him to the attention of George Graham and Leeds United, who signed him for £2,000,000 on 12th June 1997. He was an instant hit with the Leeds fans with his signature “Jimmy” on his shirt as he made a scoring debut against Arsenal at Elland Road on the opening day of the 1997-98 season. The shirt had to go and he settled for plain “Hasselbaink”, but the change of shirt did not abate his thirst for goals and, after taking a while to acclimatise to English Football, he started scoring spectacular goals followed by his trademark cart-wheel with gay abandon. He had a minor falling out with strict disciplinarian George Graham and missed several games in that time, as well as an enforced layoff of three games, after being sent off against Bristol City in the League Cup. He finished his first season with twenty-two goals to his name in all competitions. He was picked for the Dutch squad for the 1998 World Cup bit did not play a big part but gained in experience. The following season with the departure of George Graham, Leeds’ new boss started to introduce several exciting young players into his team and Jimmy-Floyd responded with his best season yet, scoring twenty goals in forty-seven appearances in all games, and his eighteen league goals made him the joint top scorer in the EPL, as he became a more consistent and influential player. It came as a great surprise to everyone when he packed his bags and joined Athletico Madrid. Great things had been expected from Hasselbaink and the exciting new Leeds team but, with the new season about to start, he slapped in a transfer request and stated that he would leave unless he was paid £60,000 per week. This would have made him easily the best-paid player in the country but it was hopelessly out of range of what Leeds could hope to, or want to, pay. Atletico Madrid quickly paid £12 million his services and so he departed from Leeds without the chance to be farewelled by his adoring fans. He carried on his scoring but the team was not doing well and, despite Jimmy scoring twenty-four goals in thirty-four appearances, they were relegated. However, with his reputation enhanced and Chelsea able to meet his wage demands of nearly £60,000 a week over the term of his contract, a fee of £15 million ensured he was soon at Stamford Bridge. He continued to deliver with some great goals and strong play on and off the ball. Sometimes temperamental, but he's a player who can create his own goals and make things happen around him. Hasselbaink scored twenty-three goals in thirty-five league appearances in the 2000-01 season, including a volley from outside the penalty area against Manchester United and a four-goal haul against Coventry City. He finished the season as the EPL’s top goal scorer. He formed a prolific partnership with Icelandic striker Eider Gudjohnsen in his second year with Chelsea, scoring 29 goals in all competitions and helping Gudjohnsen to twenty-three in a season which also saw Chelsea reach the FA Cup Final. Hasselbaink was injured in the game prior to the final and, clearly unfit, he was substituted early on as Chelsea lost 2-0. In his last two seasons with Chelsea the goals dried up. He scored only eleven goals in twenty-seven games in 2002-03, though in the next season he scored seventeen goals in all competitions which, despite the arrival of new strikers Adrian Mutu and Hernan Crespo, made him top scorer at the club for the third time in four years. He ended his Chelsea career with eighty-seven goals in one hundred and fifty-six starts and twenty-one substitute appearances in all games, sixty-nine coming in just onehundred and nineteen League stsrts and seventeen substitute appearances. Out of Contract with Chelsea at the end of the 2003-04 season, Hasselbaink was a free agent and when Middlesbrough offered him £40,000 per week he moved to the Riverside Stadium. In his first season he scored thirteen goals in thirty-six league games. He struck the winner in 1-0 wins at Zurich Grasshoppers in the UEFA Cup and against Everton in the Carling Cup. He was the captain of the Boro side that scored a 4-1 win over Manchester United and scored the second goal. In his final season with the club, he helped them reach the UEFA Cup Final, where they lost 4-0 to Sevilla FC. With a change of manager at Middlesbrough, Hasselbaink found himself surplus to requirements and was given a free transfer. Negotiations with Celtic failed due to his wage demands, but he left Middlesbrough as a hero with his fine goals and leadership which contributed massively to Middlesbrough's success domestically and in Europe in the two years he was at Middlesbrough and he signed for Charlton Athletic on 11th July 2006. He had scored thirty-four goals in seventy-five starts and fourteen substitute games. On 31st July 2006 Hasselbaink was charged by the FA with improper conduct and/or bringing the game into disrepute for his claims about Chelsea. The player alleged his former club paid players a bonus after the 2004 Champions League win over Arsenal. A Premier League inquiry into what would have been illegal bonus payments found no evidence to support the claims, which were denied by Chelsea. Jimmy scored his first goal for Charlton against his old team Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 9th September 2006, but he didn't celebrate out of respect for the fans. Chelsea's fans in turn gave him a round of applause, even though his goal had brought Charlton level. Hasselbaink was also instrumental in advising Scott Carson that Frank Lampard's penalty would be struck down the middle of the goal, true to form this event transpired and Carson went on to save the penalty and keep Charlton in the game despite their subsequent loss. After a long goal drought, Hasselbaink scored against yet another of his former clubs, Middlesbrough on13th January 2007, a game which Middlesbrough went on to win. Hasselbaink was released by Charlton at the end of the season on 14th May 2007. He had scored just four goals in fourteen starts and fifteen substitute appearances at the Valley and seen his team relegated. After negotiations with Leicester City had failed, he signed for Cardiff City on 16th August 2007, where, while playing regularly, the goals have dwindled to a mere trickle. He was signed by former Leeds Chairman, Peter “money-no-object” Ridsdale, on a one year contract, and teamed up with another expensive ex-Leeds player Robbie Fowler. He scored seven goals from thirty-three League starts and four games from the bench and another two goals from seven starts and one game as a substitute in the Cup competitions. He retired from professional football after failing to secure a new contract having been released by Cardiff at the end of the 2007-08 season. At International level with Holland, Hasselbaink made his debut for the Dutch national side at a late age. His time as an international suffered due to fierce competition for the strikers' role, with the presence of Denis Bergkamp, Patrick Kluivert, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Pierre Van Hooijdink and Roy Makaay, greatly limiting his opportunities. In 2004 Hasselbaink decided to quit the Dutch national team and no longer made himself available. His most noteworthy accomplishment as an international was playing at the 1998 World Cup in France. He made twenty-three appearances for Holland, eleven starts and twelve substitutions, scoring nine times.