HASSEL PROVES A POINT
AT the start of the 2003-2004 season, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was told he was about to become an ex-Chelsea player.
He decided he did not want to be. Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich had taken over the club and boss Claudio Ranieri intended to spend some of his funds on new strikers as Chelsea prepared for the Champions League.
Ranieri told Hasselbaink he was free to leave, but the Dutchman decided that rather than look for a new club, he would stay at Stamford Bridge for a fourth season and outscore whoever Ranieri brought in.
Adrian Mutu and Hernan Crespo were signed and Hasselbaink did outscore them.
On his 32nd birthday, he was on the bench when Wolves visited Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea were trying to stay in touch with leaders Arsenal, while Wolves were fighting for their
Premier League lives.
After an hour, Chelsea trailed 2-1 to goals from Henri Camara and Jody Craddock, and Ranieri turned to Hasselbaink.
Frank Lampard levelled the scores on 70 minutes and seven minutes later Hasselbaink put Chelsea ahead with his 100th Premier League goal.
The ball ran into his path after his dummy ricocheted off a defender and Hasselbaink made the most of his lucky break, accelerating towards goal and lashing a rising shot from the edge of the area into the net.
Hasselbaink put the match beyond Wolves with Chelsea’s fourth after 87 minutes, latching onto Damien Duff’s through ball and holding off a defender before rolling his shot into the corner. He completed a 13-minute hat-trick in the dying seconds. Lampard found him unmarked around the edge of the penalty area and Hasselbaink (left) had time to pick his shot, beyond the reach of Wolves keeper Paul Jones.
Hasselbaink was
Chelsea’s top scorer as they were runners-up in the Premier League and reached the Champions
League semi-finals.