Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink joins England men's team coaching staff

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink will join the England men’s senior coaching staff for March’s international games.

The former Netherlands international has been added to Gareth Southgate’s backroom team, and has linked up with the group as England begin their new qualification campaign for UEFA EURO 2024.

England face Italy in Naples and Ukraine at Wembley this month, and Hasselbaink joined the staff for the first time at St. George’s Park on Tuesday.

“He’s someone I know from having played with him at Middlesbrough and I know how curious he is about his coaching and he took that very seriously in his period managing,” said Southgate.

“Because he’s managed as well, but also has a keen eye on the attacking players, he’s going to provide a really good foil for us in terms of different views and opinions.

“He’s got a great personality among the group and he can be challenging and demanding, and I think we need that around our coaching team.

“We need that for the players, we need the whole group to demand more and more of each other.

“To get to where we have has been difficult, but to get to the next bit is the biggest challenge of all and we’re hoping Jimmy can help to take us there.”

The former Leeds United, Chelsea and Middlesbrough striker will be more than familiar with the surroundings at the national football centre too, having spent two spells as manager of Burton Albion in his coaching career.

After first being appointed in 2014, he led the Brewers to the League Two title in 2015 and then oversaw a strong start to their following season in League One before he took over as manager of Queens Park Rangers in December 2015.

He spent a year in west London and then had a six-month spell at Northampton Town, before he returned for a second period as Burton Albion manager in late 2021. He left the Pirelli Stadium last September.

Hasselbaink’s arrival coincides with the departure of Chris Powell from the coaching staff, after he initially joined Southgate’s staff as part of the elite coach placement programme in 2019.

“Chris Powell has been with us on a placement since the EUROs and we decided to keep that going for continuity,” added Southgate.

“But we felt it was important to let someone else have that opportunity now and Jimmy is joining us.

“We feel it’s important to have that diversity on our coaching team and Jimmy comes with a different set of skills to Chris, different experiences and a slightly different personality.”