KUALA LUMPUR: Former Holland and Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink believes the exits of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will open the door for the return of the traditional No. 9 in modern football.
Hasselbaink, now 54, said the shortage of old-school centreforwards is not limited to the Dutch national team or specific clubs, but is a worldwide trend.
“Look at the whole world, not just the Dutch national team or specific clubs. Aside from Erling Haaland and Harry Kane, you don’t see traditional big strikers coming through like before,” he said, during a promotional event with Ascott Hotel as a Chelsea representative here yesterday.
Hasselbaink highlighted the dominance of two players widely regarded as the greatest of all time (GOAT) as the cause of a centreforward shortfall for the past two decades.
“In my opinion, that shortage happened because of Ronaldo and Messi. They were both wingers. Who did our children want to be growing up? They wanted to be Ronaldo or Messi and play on the wing.
“It’s normal for the majority of young players coming up to imitate them. Now that Messi and Ronaldo are winding down, you will start seeing more Haalands, Kanes and proper strikers emerging again because kids need those role models.”
Asked which of today’s forwards resemble him, Hasselbaink playfully insisted he was one of a kind, before naming a former Chelsea teammate as the closest comparison.
“There is nobody quite like Jimmy! But if I had to pick someone similar, I would pick Diego Costa. I loved his style – he didn’t take any nonsense.
‘’When he crossed that white line, he wanted to fight everybody. I was a little bit like that as well. He was direct and magnificent for Chelsea.”
Hasselbaink also brushed aside suggestions that today’s imposing defenders would pose a problem for him.
“As for playing against modern defenders, playing against William Saliba or Virgil van Dijk wouldn’t be a problem for me. Every player has a weakness – you just have to find it and exploit it.
‘’Physicality isn’t everything; you just have to give them more physicality back, even if they are big boys.”
Although he has retired, Hasselbaink admitted there are parts of the game he still yearns for, particularly the dressing room and the thrill of match day.
“I miss the dressing room – the joking around and the camaraderie. I miss stepping out into the arena as well.
‘’It gives you an adrenaline boost. It wasn’t stressful; walking into that arena with the pressure to produce is a feeling all top players miss.”
He remains active in the sport, and has no plans to leave it behind.
“I’m here with these beautiful fans in Malaysia but back home, I still do work for Chelsea on match days, work for Sky Sports, and I want to continue coaching, managing, or become a sporting director. Football is my life – I’m never going to lose that passion.”
