CARDIFF City striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink insists there is no chance of him retiring even if his team lift the FA Cup today.
The 36-year-old was quick to quash rumours he could hang up his boots after the Wembley showpiece against Portsmouth, which could prove to be Hasselbaink's last chance to claim some silverware in the English domestic game.
"I'm not retiring. Winni
ng or losing, I'm not retiring," he said. "I love it."
The Bluebirds have the option to extend the Dutchman's existing deal by a further year and Hasselbaink hinted the game may not be his last for the club. However, he insists that for now, his focus remains firmly on the final. "I don't want to say a lot about that," Hasselbaink said. "I just want to concentrate on the game. But it looks as if I'm going to stay at Cardiff."
For a player who spent much of his career at the top of the game it may come as a surprise that Hasselbaink's only medal came in the Portuguese Cup during his days with Boavista. In 1998, he was part of the Holland squad which was a penalty shoot-out away from being involved in a World Cup final. There was further disappointment two years later at Atletico Madrid when the misery of relegation was compounded by a Copa del Rey final defeat to Espanyol.
Next up came a shot at FA Cup glory in 2002 with Chelsea when they took on Arsenal at the Millennium Stadium. The outcome was the same, however, although the loss paled into insignificance when it emerged afterwards a blocked vein could have led to him losing the lower part of his right leg. His move to Middlesbrough provided another opportunity when they reached the Uefa Cup final in 2006, but the outcome was the same, as Sevilla trashed them 4-0.
It is fair to say Hasselbaink had given up hope of winning major silverware when he agreed to move to Ninian Park on a free transfer last summer, but he intends to grasp the opportunity now it has come along.
"It means a hell of a lot because nobody expected us to go that far," he added. "I think you can't compare the Portuguese Cup with the FA Cup. The FA Cup is ten-million times bigger. Just look at the press day, everybody is here, even people from Scotland."
Meanwhile, David James showed eve-of-final nerves by getting rattled by questions about Liverpool's infamous white FA Cup suits in 1996. The England international, who was then a part-time model for Armani, had a hand in the choice of 'Spice Boy' attire, which was widely ridiculed after the 1-0 loss to Manchester United.
Twelve years on and James has eyes solely for the main prize on offer today. "Do you know what? I really don't care (about the fashion]," said the 37-year-old. "My irritation is that in 1996 the suits were more memorable than the cup final itself."
The full article contains 514 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
