"I used to find my best form against Spurs!'" – Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink recalls four games that changed his life

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
(Image credit: Getty)

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink made his first steps as a professional footballer in his native Netherlands, before moving to Portugal and catching the eye of Premier League clubs with his performances for Boavista. 

After arriving at Leeds United, the striker made a name for himself as a powerful goal-scorer with an eye for the spectacular. A transfer to Chelsea in 2000 proved successful, as Hasselbaink earned legendary status at Stamford Bridge. All told, the Dutchman scored 127 goals across 288 Premier League appearances, making him one of the greatest strikers in English top-flight history. 

Hasselbaink was speaking to FourFourTwo in association with Grosvenor Casinos.

Vitoria Setubal 2- 2 Boavista 

May 4, 1997 - Primeira Divisao

“My first game is for Boavista against Vitoria Setubal - you didn’t expect me to choose this one, did you? (Laughs) The Leeds manager George Graham was in the stadium, he saw me for the first time, he was scouting me - I scored, from that moment he liked me, and a deal to join Leeds started to get going with my agent. I scored 20 league goals for Boavista that season, I couldn’t stop scoring - we had a really good year, with me and Nuno Gomes up front, we played a lot of games together. But in the Netherlands, we got the BBC and Match of the Day, so I always wanted to play in England, and I got that opportunity thanks to this game. When the opportunity came, I didn’t need to think about it - I just took it.”

Leeds 1-1 Arsenal

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink

(Image credit: Getty)

August 9, 1997 - Premier League

“This was my debut for Leeds, and I scored. It was very special, playing against Arsenal - Ian Wright was one of the strikers you looked at in the Premier League, to see how he did things, how he scored his goals. To play against Steve Bould in your first match, against that famous back four, and to score against David Seaman, it just felt so good. I went one on one with him, a defender was closing in and I had to make a quick decision to shoot. I think Seaman thought I was going to aim for the near corner, but I went for the far corner, he slipped a bit with his left foot and the ball went in. A very special moment - your debut at a packed Elland Road, with all the fans going absolutely mental. I still get goosebumps when I think about it.”

Netherlands 0-0 Belgium

June 13, 1998 - World Cup

“This was my World Cup debut. I didn’t know that I was going to be called up for that tournament, I was one of the last ones on the list - number 21 was designated to me, and in those days you could only have 22 players. I went into a mini pre-season with the Dutch national team, and it went so well that the manager Guus Hiddink started me in the first match. I was a little bit unlucky, it was 0-0 and I think I hit the post, but I’d come from Boavista, played one year at Leeds and then been called up for the national team straight away. Two years before that, when the Euros were in England, I went with friends to watch the Dutch national team, when England beat them 4-1. I was going to do the same in France, but I was called up myself, and my family came to watch me.”

Chelsea 4-0 Tottenham

March 13, 2002 - Premier League

“My fourth game has to be a Chelsea game, when I scored a hat-trick against Spurs - left foot, right foot and a header. When I was told after the match that I’d scored a perfect hat-trick, I didn’t know what that was, I just thought a hat-trick was a hat-trick. But when they explained, that made it very special too. I think all the Spurs fans remember it - I always played really well against them for Chelsea, and also for Leeds, I used to find my best form against them and score. There weren’t a lot of games that I lost against them in my career, and I must have played them maybe 20 times over 10 years, with Middlesbrough and Charlton as well. My lawyer is a big Spurs fan and he doesn’t like it when I speak about my record against them!” (laughs)

Chris Flanagan
Senior Staff Writer

Chris joined FourFourTwo in 2015 and has reported from 20 countries, in places as varied as Jerusalem and the Arctic Circle. He's interviewed Pele, Zlatan and Santa Claus (it's a long story), as well as covering the World Cup, Euro 2020 and the Clasico. He previously spent 10 years as a newspaper journalist, and completed the 92 in 2017.

Read more
Peter Crouch retires
'I wanted to leave Liverpool as fast as possible. I was thinking, ‘What have I done?’ The manager wanted me to do different things, I working really hard, but I was trying to score while playing deeper' Peter Crouch answers FFT readers' questions
Dennis Bergkamp makes a pointing gesture while playing for Arsenal, 2004
The best Dutch players in Premier League history
Manchester United manager Ruud van Nistelrooy
"Ruud trained us well on what to do and what to expect. That is perhaps a bit understated with him" Leeds United striker recalls valuable training Ruud van Nistelrooy delivered while at PSV
Henrik Larsson with Sir Alex Ferguson in a press conference after agreeing to join Manchester United on loan from Helsingborg, 2006
Memorable loan spells
Ranked! The 100 best Premier League players ever
Ranked! The 100 best Premier League players ever
Roque Junior
‘I received offers from Bolton and Newcastle, but they didn’t progress far. Then Leeds came in – I saw it as a chance to experience a new league and country’: How World Cup winner Roque Junior ended up at Leeds United
Latest in Stories
Thomas Tuchel will take charge of England for the very first time this evening
'He pushed us. It was tough love, was tough love, but that's Thomas' Former player reveals that the new England manager will be HARD on his players
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola holds aloft the Premier League trophy at the Etihad in May 2023.
Quiz! Can you name every Premier League champion... in just 90 seconds?
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 19: manager Ange Postecoglou of Tottenham Hotspur FC and Micky van de Venand Cristian Romero during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and West Ham United FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 19, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)
Tottenham star Cristian Romero 'willing to do everything' to LEAVE: report
Newcastle United's Dan Burn battles with Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Newcastle United at Anfield in Liverpool, England, on February 26, 2025.
I watch every football game on this TV - and it's been discounted by £210 in the Amazon Spring Deal Days
Arsenal target Martin Zubimendi of Spain thanks the fans during the UEFA Nations League quarterfinal leg one match between Netherlands and Spain at De Kuip on March 20, 2025 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Arsenal report: Martin Zubimendi 'very close' to shock Real Madrid move
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim reacts at full-time of the Premier League match against Arsenal at Old Trafford on 9 March, 2025
Manchester United make exciting teenager 'top priority' this summer: report
Latest in Features
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola holds aloft the Premier League trophy at the Etihad in May 2023.
Quiz! Can you name every Premier League champion... in just 90 seconds?
 Sheila Garcia of Real Madrid CF battle for the ball with Alessia Russo of Arsenal FC during the UEFA Women's Champions League Quarter Finals First Leg match between Real Madrid CF and Arsenal FC at Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano on March 18, 2025 in Madrid, Spain.
'Over two legs I expected Arsenal to beat Real Madrid in the Champions League, I still think they can despite being 2-0 down,' says former Lioness Izzy Christiansen
Luiz Diaz of Colombia celebrates with James Rodriguez of Colombia after scoring his team's first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers match between Brazil and Colombia at Arena BRB Mane Garrincha.
How to watch Colombia vs Paraguay: Live streams for World Cup qualifier
Uruguay's Argentine head coach Marcelo Bielsa (R) gives instructions during the 2026 FIFA World Cup South American qualifiers football match between Uruguay and Argentina at the Centenario stadium in Montevideo, on March 21, 2025.
How to watch Bolivia vs Uruguay: Live streams for Conmebol World Cup qualifying
BRASILIA, BRAZIL - MARCH 20, 2025: Vinicius Junior of Brazil in action during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers match between Brazil and Colombia at Arena BRB Mane Garrincha.
How to watch Argentina vs Brazil: Live streams for blockbuster World Cup qualifier
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Southampton FC at Anfield on March 08, 2025 in Liverpool, England.
Quiz! Can you name FourFourTwo's greatest Premier League players ever?