Leeds United v Chelsea: Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has a foot in both camps ahead of the Capital One Cup tie English football has always been big in Holland. The majority of the Dutch players would prefer to come to England than anywhere else. To go to Leeds, a massive club who I had watched on telly as a kid, well every boy dreams of that. Hasselbaink was soon to force his way into the Leeds fans" affections. But acceptance was not instantaneous. "I had a good start, the first three or four matches were quite easy for me," he recalls. But I was running on adrenalin. After the third or fourth game I had a dip, a big dip. Then I had to climb back. Luckily I did. He climbed so far that, despite spending only two years in West Yorkshire, he was such a terrace hero that a fan poll recently placed him in an all-time Leeds XI. I had a really, really good time at Leeds. Without them taking a chance with me I wouldn't be where I am today. After two years, Hasselbaink fell out with Leeds over a contract dispute. He added: "It was a little bit heartbreaking the way I left, but I had to do what was best for my career. But they always made me feel at home. I have good friends there and love to go back. After a brief detour to Atlético Madrid, he soon found himself back in English football, this time at Stamford Bridge. "The Premier League was always my destiny," he says. The way of playing, the atmosphere, it was where I wanted to be. The Spanish League is a nice league, but as soon as I left England, all I wanted was to get back here. And despite his Leeds associations, he was soon as admired in the Shed as he had been at Elland Road. His partnership with Eidur Gudjohnsen was one of the most productive in Chelsea history. It just clicked with me and Gudjohnsen. He played in Holland, he spoke perfect Dutch. So on the pitch we spoke Dutch, to confuse the opposition. We got so good playing with each other we just knew where each other was. I didn't have to look, I knew where he would be and vice versa. Sometimes you find forwards who don't want their partner to do well. We just wanted each other to score. The Chelsea fans loved what the Leeds followers did about him: as was suggested by his trademark arrow-straight piledriver shot, hammered out with precious little backlift, there was nothing complicated about Hasselbaink. Why did they love me? I can't tell you," he says. The only thing I can say is that at every club I've played I've given my all to win. Maybe that's what they see. "I've always thought that's the most important thing: that at the end of the game you can look yourself in the mirror and say, "I gave everything." That's what a fan wants. Since he retired from playing in 2008, Hasselbaink has been serving his management apprenticeship. These days he is first team coach at Nottingham Forest. And he says he would relish the opportunity to be in charge of a game like this, where circumstances may well even up the divide in skills. "Chelsea are coming back from a bad result, they've had a long flight from Japan, they'll be tired, jet-lagged," he says. Plus, I don't think all their players will expect the kind of atmosphere they will get at Leeds. It will be intense. [David] Luiz or Oscar: does he really know the rivalry? Or the stadium, or the history? "They might come up a little bit complacent, thinking, "Oh Leeds are just in the Championship." That might be the difference, for Leeds it might just be enough. So if he were in charge, what would he say to the teams ahead of kick-off? "I think it will be easier to do the Leeds manager's team talk," he says. If I was him, I'd do what I expect [Neil] Warnock will do: I'd say play high tempo, do everything really quick, don't let them get fluid, make it a bitty-bitty game, make them defend because that's their weakest area. If I was Chelsea, I'd say keep the ball as long as possible, pass them to death, get them tired in just running after it. Both managers will know the longer Chelsea don't score the better it will be for Leeds, the more their belief will grow. But whatever happens, Hasselbaink - apart from the referee, the only neutral in the stadium - says he cannot lose. And for those watching the match on Sky, he gives warning of the source of any unexplained noise. "That will be me," he grins, "I'll be cheering everything." Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was speaking on behalf of Capital One. Go to www.facebook.com/capitaloneuk