5 hours ago
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Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is now strutting his stuff under the Strictly Come Dancing disco ball but glitz, glamour and the football stardom he rose to are are far cry from his early life of crime.
The 53-year-old, who became a household name for Leeds, Chelsea and Middlesbrough in the 2000s, is open and candid about the underworld he miraculously broke free of as a teenager.
He used to carry a knife, was in with a gang and theft was a part of his everyday life.
Hasselbaink was an elite striker and brilliant showman in his prime and he believes football saved him, lamenting that when he goes back home he sees old friends who are now drug dealers or junkies - a path he could have slipped down himself.
'You should have seen me at 16,' he told the Guardian. 'One of those bad boys, running with a gang, trying to look cool and act hard. I thought I was a tough guy, stealing or scaring people with my friends. Crazy huh?'
Born in Suriname, Hasselbaink's family moved to Zaandam in the Netherlands when he was six before he fell in with the wrong crowd in an impoverished neighbourhood.
Strictly Come Dancing and ex-football star Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (right) escaped a life of crime as a teenager to make it on the biggest stage
Hasselbaink, pictured during his time at Chelsea in 2000, has spoken candidly about getting into trouble when growing up in the Netherlands
'We lived in this 14-storey block. Sometimes I'd be playing football at the back with my mates and we'd see a body falling', he explained. 'We saw people kill themselves two or three times and we weren't surprised. There were a lot of broken people, a lot of bad things.
'It was tough for my mum. She had to provide for six children who came with her from Suriname. My dad, who was no good, stayed and that's why I took the wrong direction.'
The crossroads moment in Hasselbaink's life came one night when he and 10 friends went to a Public Enemy concert, one of the most popular rap groups at the time.
'One time in Amsterdam, things got really out of hand,' he recalled in his autobiography, 'Jimmy'.
'None of us had tickets... we thought we would just take tickets from people who did have them.
'When we got there we threatened some guys and stole their tickets so that we could gain entry to the concert. It is not something I am proud of. When you're in a gang, you do some very stupid things.
'The people we had stolen the tickets from went to the police and eventually we were all arrested. I was sent to a youth detention facility called Het Poortje in Groningen for three months.
'I was there not just for stealing the tickets, but also because they had found some stolen stuff when they had searched my home. I was always dealing in stolen goods, such as car radios or wristwatches, and it was a lucrative business.
Hasselbaink is best known for his time with Chelsea where he was a top goalscorer - seen here celebrating winning the 2000 Charity Shield win over Man United
Hasselbaink is a devoted family man - pictured with daughters (L-R), Lauren, Khloe and Miahh
'In those days I carried a knife around with me, but never a gun. I was too scared of guns. I once saw somebody get shot in his car right in the middle of the street.'
Of that time in the detention centre, he told the Guardian: 'It hit me when I walked into this scary room I had to share with three other guys - and one was crazy. He didn't get violent but you had to watch him carefully.
'He was Moroccan and you never knew what he was shouting because he couldn't speak Dutch. Maybe it was the big shock I needed.'
The teenage bravado and aggression was soon channeled into football, initially as a goalkeeper before moving to wing and then up front.
Football was in his blood. His uncle, Nigel, played for the Suriname national team and younger brother, Carlos, also carved out a career in the game in the Netherlands.
Jimmy's talent became clear and by the time he was 18, he secured a move from small side Telstar to AZ Alkmaar.
It was hardly a well-trodden path to the top that he followed. Next came a move to Portuguese side Boavista, where he proved he could be relied upon for goals.
The ex-Chelsea striker found discipline in football after a tricky start in life
The breakout transfer to Leeds United then followed and Hasselbaink scored 34 times in 69 games before taking his next step up at Chelsea.
He became a hero for the Blues supporters over a prolific four seasons but there were a few off-the-pitch issues in the fast life of affluent west London.
Hasselbaink is reported to have lost more than £1million by gambling and was often seen around a roulette table at some of the capital's swanky establishment.
He disputes losing the six-figure sum but admits the total was 'a lot' and confesses to feeling trapped at one stage before he managed to curtail his habit, though he still likes to visit the casino but never bet more than £1000.
He used to gamble with Chelsea team-mate Eidur Gudjonsson and one night even managed to win £80,000.
Another flashpoint in Hasselbaink's colourful life came back in 2016 while he was manager of QPR when he was implicated in an undercover sting at a Pret a Manger coffee shop by a Telegraph reporter.
In an episode he described as 'painful' and refuted any wrongdoing, he paper alleged that he later requested £55,000 to work with a fake South Asian sporting firm hoping to attract players to his club.
Hasselbaink's form at Leeds led him to a move to Chelsea during his prime years
Hasselbaink was part of Gareth Southgate's coaching staff at the last Euros
He was also quoted as saying in a separate undercover meeting in a bar: 'If I do work abroad and receive it abroad, in my bank account in Holland, then if I bring it back here I have a way of only paying between 10 and 15 per cent [tax], instead of paying 45 [per cent]. Because it makes a big difference.'
At the time, he released a statement following the accusations, saying: 'I have today, through my lawyers, responded in full to the accusations levelled against me by The Telegraph. I was approached by Mr McGarvey and Ms Newell of The Telegraph purporting to be players' agents," he said.
'They offered me a fee to make a speech in Singapore. I do not see anything unusual in being offered to be paid to make a speech. I did not make any promises in return.
'I did not ask QPR to purchase any of the players who were said to be managed by Mr McGarvey and Ms Newell and did not and would not recommend the purchase of a player for my personal gain. I deny any accusations of wrongdoing on my part.'
He then said on Sky Sports: 'You reflect, you think back and you criticise yourself and you must say that I have been naïve. 'But then, with everything with it, I have never asked for money for myself to take a player or to bring a player to the club. I would never do that. That's the painful thing about it.'
QPR backed their manager at the time and he went on to work as boss at Northampton Town and Burton Albion.
He was also part of Garth Southgate's coaching staff as an assistant from 2023 for the Euros and left when the manager did in the wake of the Three Lions' defeat by Spain in the final.
Hasselbaink continues to work in TV punditry and the likable character is partnered with Lauren Oakley on the current series of Strictly Come Dancing.
Hasselbaink is doing well on Strictly Come Dancing after his daughters persuaded him to do it
He is married with four daughters, who love the show and encouraged him to take part.
This week his dance partner posted on Instagram: 'Feeling so lucky to be able to spend another week working hard & having fun in the training room. Honestly having the best time, and the results of Jimmy’s hard work is so rewarding. I’m a very proud teacher.'
Hasselbaink replied: 'First of all, thank you very much for all your votes and support. I’m so grateful for another week. I’m having a blast and training with Lauren - the perfect balance of work and fun.
'I am so happy that I started this journey, and don’t want it to end. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU.'
