Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is set for a return to Cardiff City Stadium this Sunday when he links up with Craig Bellamy.
Former Bluebirds, Chelsea, Middlesbrough and Holland striker Hasselbaink is among the players gathering for Kevin McNaughton’s benefit match and he is in a team being managed by Bellamy.
They take on SuperKev’s XI at CCS this Sunday (3pm).
“Nobody went past Kevin and I mean nobody,” says Hasselbaink. “He is a top defender who was like a rash when he challenged defenders. There was nowhere for them to go.”
Hasselbaink and Mcnaughton teamed up for the Bluebirds in 2007-08 when manager Dave Jones and his team played at Wembley Stadium in the FA Cup semi-final win against Barnsley and the cup final defeat v Portsmouth.
“Kevin is a defender you could always depend on,” he says. “He wouldn’t score many goals, although I did see him net a couple during that season, but boy could he defend.
“He is quick and could play anywhere across the back four, which made him a real asset to the team.
“Kevin had a dry sense of Scottish humour and he was extremely popular among the players and the Cardiff supporters.
“It’s a magnificent gesture by the club to grant him a benefit game and it’s well deserved. He was a good servant to Cardiff City and I was delighted to be invited.
“I hope the fans turn out in force for him.”
Standard tickets for McNaughton’s benefit match on Sunday are £10 with concessions available and can be purchased via the Cardiff City ticket website: https://www.eticketing.co.uk/cardiffcity/details/event.aspx?itemref=5452
The Ticket Office telephone number is 0845 345 1400.
Kevin McNaughton testimonial squads:
Super Kev’s team: Mark Peat, Kevin McNaughton, Mark Hudson, Ben Turner, Lee Naylor, Stephen McPhail, Riccy Scimeca, Craig Conway, Don Cowie, Steven Thompson, Michael Chopra, Jon Parkin, Alex Winter, Matthew Pritchard, Barry McNaughton, Ross O’Donaghue, Darren Mackie plus one competition winning fan.
Bellamy’s Boys: Craig Bellamy, Andy Legg, Darren Purse, Peter Whittingham, Paul Parry, Robert Earnshaw, Andy Campbell, Trevor Sinclair, Craig Noone, Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink, Sean Connelly, Chris Barker, Jason Mohammad plus one competition winner.