FA’S HASSLE OVER HASSELBAINK

GARETH SOUTHGATE’S desire to appoint Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink to his backroom staff has not gone down well with some members of staff at St George’s Park.

The move is part of the FA’s commitment to giving more opportunities to BAME coaches, but staff feel the scheme should be used to develop English coaches.

Senior figures involved in creating the BAME Coaching Placement Programme, funded by the FA and PFA, have expressed misgivings as the scheme was designed to give a platform for young coaches to get back into the game. The original 2018 intake comprised Chris Powell, Sol Campbell, Kieron Dyer, Paul Nevin, Terry Connor and Alena Moulton, who all went on to gain club jobs on the back of working with England. As a 50-year-old Dutchman who has already had five managerial jobs, Hasselbaink has a different profile, but is set to join Southgate’s staff for England’s European Championship qualifying campaign in place of Powell, whose deal expired after the World Cup. Eyebrows have also been raised at the fact Hasselbaink will continue to work as a Sky Sports pundit, so may be asked to criticise players he is working with. The former striker also may have benefited from his relationship with Southgate, whom he played with at Middlesbrough.