Who is Strictly contestant Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink?

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is one of 14 celebrities hitting the Strictly dance floor when the competition kicks off on BBC One on Saturday.

The former professional footballer is best known for his time at Chelsea and Leeds United, where he was a prolific goalscorer in the Premier League.

He also had success at Middlesbrough and Atletico Madrid, representing the Netherlands at international level between 1998 and 2002.

Hasselbaink has managed several clubs after retiring from playing, including Burton Albion and Queens Park Rangers. The 53-year-old was England's assistant head coach between 2023 and 2024.

He has also made appearances as a pundit across various TV sport networks, including the BBC - but he sees Strictly as his biggest challenge yet.

"Swapping the pitch for the ballroom is certainly not something I've done before but I'm looking forward to tackling a fun challenge," he said.

"Bring on a new type of footwork, with hopefully no own goals."

The ex-footballer has been partnered with professional dancer Lauren Oakley, who made the final last series with JLS singer JB Gill.

Who did he play for?

Jerrel 'Jimmy' Floyd Hasselbaink was born in Suriname, but his family moved to the Dutch city of Zaandam as a child.

He made his professional debut aged 18 for Dutch side SC Telstar, before transferring to AZ Alkmaar the following year.

The forward had a spell with Portuguese Primeira Liga side Boavista, earning a move to the Premier League with Leeds United.

He scored 34 goals in 69 appearances in Yorkshire, before an even more successful goalscoring streak during his season at Atletico Madrid.

Chelsea broke their transfer record to bring him to Stamford Bridge for £15m in 2000. That turned out to be something of a bargain for the west London side, as he went on to score 69 times in 136 appearances, sealing his status as a club legend.

In 2004, he moved to Middlesbrough, before ending his career at Charlton Athletic and Cardiff City.

Who has he managed?

Hasselbaink's got his first managerial break in Belgium, taking charge of second-division club Royal Antwerp in 2013. After finishing seventh and missing out on promotion to the top-flight, he turned down a new contract, instead joining League Two's Burton Albion.

After six consecutive seasons in the fourth division, Hasselbaink guided Burton to their first promotion to League One. He left in December 2015 to become manager of Championship side Queens Park Rangers with Burton top of the league.

Following a 12th-place finish, Hasselbaink was dismissed as manager a year later.

He had a year-long spell at Northampton Town before a return to Burton Albion.

His last role in football came as assistant head coach to the England men's national team under Gareth Southgate. He left when Southgate stepped down in 2024.

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