Middlesbrough FC next manager: Ex-Leeds United and Chelsea star Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink a 'shock candidate'
Former Leeds United marksman Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has reportedly emerged as a shock candidate for the Middlesbrough job.
Rob Edwards has officially vacated his post as head coach and taken the reins at Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League.
Middlesbrough are now on the hunt for a new boss and with the club sat second in the Championship table, there will undoubtedly be plenty of interested figures.
A raft of coaches have already been linked with the job, including Premier League legend Steven Gerrard and ex-Middlesbrough midfielder Gary O’Neil.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink linked with Middlesbrough
According to reporter Alan Nixon via his Patreon page, Hasselbaink is in the mix over three years on from his last spell as a manager.
Owner Steve Gibson is believed to be weighing up his options and it has been suggested he could be open to a short-term solution.
Hasselbaink, who represented Middlesbrough as a player between 2004 and 2006, is thought to be someone who could fill in.
He would arguably be a risky appointment for the Championship high-fliers, with the 53-year-old having last managed Burton Albion in League One.
However, he does boast pedigree and was part of Gareth Southgate’s England national team coaching set-up for a period.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s career
A Premier League icon in his playing days, Hasselbaink is no stranger to Yorkshire. It was Leeds who brought the Dutch star to British shores, signing him from Boavista in 1997.
He made 85 appearances for the Whites, delivering an impressive 41-goal haul and weighing in with 13 assists.
However, he left under a cloud in 1999 as he made a move to Spanish outfit Atletico Madrid. He later returned to England for a four-year spell at Chelsea that was followed by stints at Middlesbrough, Charlton Athletic and Cardiff City.
As a manager, he has led Royal Antwerp, Queens Park Rangers, Northampton Town and Burton across two spells.