Former Leeds United forward Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink will swap the training ground for the ballroom as he prepares to take his place on Strictly Come Dancing.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink left Leeds under a cloud as a public spat over wages preceded his switch to Atlético Madrid.
His transfer to Chelsea 12 months later only fuelled the acrimony further as Leeds fans turned against their former hero.
The Dutch international will be hoping for a happier ending to his time on one of the BBC’s flagship light entertainment shows, as he looks to add the Glitterball trophy to his collection of hat-trick balls.
And if Leeds fans can temporarily look beyond the bitterness over Hasselbaink’s departure, they will remember that he showed the early signs of his acrobatic potential in the Premier League with the Whites.
14 Nov 1998: Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink of Leeds United celebrates one of his goals during the FA Carling Premiership match against Liverpool at Anfield in Liverpool, England. Leeds won 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Ben Radford /AllsportJimmy Floyd Hasselbaink perfected his acrobatic celebration at Leeds United
Before the controversial end to his time at Elland Road, Hasselbaink was a firm favourite with the Leeds faithful, as he showcased the full range of his finishing abilities.
Having joined Leeds for a bargain fee of £2 million from Portuguese side Boavista, Hasselbaink plundered an impressive 42 goals in 85 appearances in all competitions.
By the end of his stay at Leeds, Hasselbaink had also developed an instantly recognisable celebration, as he completed a cartwheel before theatrically pumping his fist in slow motion.
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However, the celebration was not always so smooth, as is demonstrated by the commentary on one of the former Leeds man’s goals at the club. He first unveiled the cartwheel in a game against West Ham in 1997 and stumbled on the landing.
When he repeated the trick against Chelsea the following season, the commentator declared, “There it is, his 17th goal of the season, but he still hasn’t got that cartwheel right, has he?”
If Hasselbaink is a success on Strictly, he can point to these early tumbles on the Elland Road pitch as evidence of his natural ability. If he fails, he will face a more stern critique than was delivered after his thunderous strike against Chelsea.
15 Sep 1998: Jimmy Hasselbaink of Leeds in action in the UEFA CUP against Maritimo at Elland Road in Leeds, England. Mandatory Credit: Ben Radford /Allsport
To say that Hasselbaink is following in a long and proud tradition of footballers to appear on the show may be something of a stretch.
However, several former footballers have tried their luck on the dancefloor, with mixed results. Towering Danish goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel was the first, finishing seventh in series four.
His performance was matched by former Liverpool and England legend John Barnes in the following series, before Peter Shilton finished 12th in series eight. Robbie Savage came next, finishing sixth in series nine, surpassing the third goalkeeper on the list, David James, who came 12th.
Alex Scott set the bar for best finish by a former footballer with her fifth-place finish in series 17, before former Arsenal duo Tony Adams and Paul Merson brought the overall average back down with ninth and 12th place finishes respectively.