As room mates at the 1998 World Cup with Holland neither really contemplated a future in management. Why would they when they were still to reach the peak of their wonderful playing careers with, at that stage, Rangers and Leeds United as well as their national team?
But when Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink looks back he can now recognise the characteristics in his old pal Gio van Bronckhorst which meant he was destined to be a success in the dugout. The calmness, the aura, the understanding of the beautiful game.
Their country gave birth to the concept of Total Football and Hasselbaink reckons van Bronckhorst is implementing his own attractive version of the sport at Rangers. The Burton Albion boss has been blown away with his pal’s impact in just six months in charge at Ibrox – and insists the best is yet to come.
The 50-year-old is adamant van Bronckhorst is just getting started in Govan and that his brand of football – something he reckons is already a step up from the Steven Gerrard era – is about to get even more exciting. Asked about his pal’s impact at Rangers, Hasselbaink said: “He’s done absolutely magnificently, hasn’t he?
“Rangers fans obviously want to win the league and he wasn’t able to do that but for them to reach the final of a European cup, and then lose on penalties is very bitter, very hard. Overall I think he’s going to implement his style even more.
“You’ve seen it already, it’s a little bit more attractive than Steven Gerrard, in the football eye. That’s not me being negative about Gerrard, he’s done absolutely magnificent as well. But the styles are a little bit different. The only thing is, can you get that balance of the beautiful style, and still win trophies?
“Because at the end of the day, that’s what it’s about at Rangers: how many trophies can you bring in? Gerrard has done that with the league, but didn’t go to a European final.”
While Hasselbaink and van Bronckhorst’s friendship was forged at France 98, it blossomed while derby rivals at Chelsea and Arsenal in the early noughties.
He said: “Gio was my roomie at the 1998 World Cup and when he was at Arsenal we were close. We never spoke about management, but he has the aura of becoming a really good manager and he’s showing it.
“He knows what he wants, how he wants to play, and what it has to look like and it’s a good fit, I think.”
Hasselbaink could have found himself playing against Rangers had Gordon Strachan had his way as Celtic boss in 2006. But the Hoops couldn’t get a deal for the then 34-year-old over the line. And he could have beaten van Bronckhorst to the management game in Scotland had Hibs been tempted to take a punt on him eight years ago after Terry Butcher’s exit.
Alan Stubbs got the job instead and Hasselbaink, whose Burton side was beaten 4-2 by Hibs in a pre-season friendly in Portugal last week, said: “I know quite a lot about Scottish football. I’ve never been approached by any clubs in Scotland but I did apply once for the Hibs job but I was never interviewed.
“I was also close to coming to play in Scotland once or twice but it didn’t materialise. Hibs are a very good team who are trying to get their identity through under Lee Johnson and that identity will be attractive football. They have some very good players too. For us it was a good challenge.”
Hasselbaink knows Johnson from the new Hibs boss’ time managing at Sunderland and Bristol City.
Asked if he expects him to be a success at Easter Road, Hasselbaink said: “Time will tell.
“But the history of Hibs is that they always want to play a certain way and be creative and Lee is a manager who likes to play creative football. He always wants to control the game with the ball and play out from the back.
“It looked good against us, even though it was a practice game and we were trying certain ideas in the game. He’s an experienced guy now; he’s been at Oldham, Barnsley, Bristol City, and Sunderland so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him do well at a big club like Hibs.”
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