Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is in talks to join Gareth Southgate’s England backroom staff for the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.
Hasselbaink, the former Holland international, has emerged as a frontrunner to replace Chris Powell, who is leaving to focus on his work as head of Tottenham Hotspur’s academy.
• Euro 2024 qualifiers: England squad announced today
Powell joined Southgate’s set-up before Euro 2020 as part of the FA and PFA’s elite coaching placement programme, and his time with England was extended to include the World Cup after he impressed.
Hasselbaink has coaching experience in the past six years with Northampton Town and Burton Albion. More recently, he has been working as a pundit on Sky Sports.
However, the 50-year-old knows Southgate from their time together as team-mates at Middlesbrough. Hasselbaink had moved to Teesside after successful spells at Leeds United, Atletico Madrid and Chelsea, where he was a prolific goalscorer.
Under the coaching placement plan, first launched in 2018, England teams across all levels were committed to offering opportunities to black, Asian and minority ethnic coaches.
Southgate is set to name his squad on Thursday for the Euro 2024 qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine, and Ivan Toney is hoping that the England manager will overlook the striker’s impending disciplinary hearing for a breach of betting rules.
The Chelsea full backs, Reece James and Ben Chilwell, could return having both missed the World Cup in Qatar through injury, while AC Milan’s Fikayo Tomori would appear to be a strong contender to be drafted in.
Lewis Dunk and Solly March, of Brighton & Hove Albion, are in contention too. England have checked on March, but the difficulty for the winger will be forcing his way into a squad that is already packed with wide options, with Manchester United’s Jadon Sancho back in the reckoning after missing the World Cup.
