We're going to rewind the clock a little bit.

No, and talk a bit more about Erica Johnson and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink Very own transfer teals.

And I think there is only one place to start.

And that is the year 2000 when Chelsea came calling for you.

Booth, Jimmy will start with you.

Just give us an insight into exactly how that came about.

I got a call.

Actually, we were in a time I was at, like, to commit.

Great.

We were, um, in a cup of the ray final and we were on the way to the to the final, and I got a call from from General Kofi Ali and he had a few words with me about me joining jealousy.

We had a political, we already went down, but we were still in the final of the cup of the ray and he just wanted to have, like, five minutes with me if if I would be interested in and all that kind of stuff.

So my Aisa lied opened, It was it was a great Cole and we decided Tow me just to play the game and enjoy the game and and after the game toe to speak again and and see what could materialize.

Hold on.

You're on your way to the Copa del Rey final in the coach, in the way we always calling you.

I was in the team coach.

He obviously didn't know that I was in the team coach.

It was two days before the final We we had the final at the financial stadium.

We drove two days before the game we drove to towards for Lancia and uh, I got a call from Gianluca.

After the disappointment of seeing Athletico Madrid relegated and missing out on a place in the Holland squad for Euro 2000 hassle bank is said to be delighted to be back in English football.

Did you know straight away that it was a move that you wanted to me, whether any other clubs in the running for you at the time there were other clubs, but it was it was yeah, it was a move that I definitely straight if I wanted to make about the the year before this the year before, when I was in Leeds.

Chelsea showed some interest already, but Leeds didn't want to sell me Tow an English club.

Um and, um, we tried everything me and my agent to make the move go through toe Chelsea.

But, um, it didn't happen.

So Chris Sutton then went instead.

And then the deal was that and I went to Ah, glad to commiserate on either.

What about yourself?

What?

Your memories off a similar situation.

Just one call.

And you were You were gone, huh?

Well, similar.

In a sense that I got the phone call from from Luca.

Really Sort of my my eyes and rang me up.

And he said, Listen, the interest of Chelsea's actually quite big.

Luca wants to sign you.

He wants to speak to you.

So it's not just the club looking at.

I was only 21 I think.

When I when I joined Chelsea, said Manager wants to speak to you.

Look at me.

I was gonna call me.

Yeah, just stay by your phone, and as I did when he rang Hey, started with this.

Is it okay to say sexy Italian boy go.

Yeah, but he sort of explained They said Listen, I've actually seen a lot off your games from last season, both live and on tape, and I think you can do whatever you're doing in the championship, as we call it.

Now.

You can do that in the Premier League as well.

Um, he didn't know that he played European Cup final against my dad.

When the Ali play for Sampdoria, my father played for and elected Belgium.

So they played against each other in the European Cup final in 1990 two.

I'm not mistaken this watch yours because I'd asked my father to get me every Ali shirt from that game, so it didn't take much persuading.

Uh, plus the fact that we had Bolton at the time we we didn't manage to get promoted.

We had Ah, we're a good team.

Great love, lovely people.

But Chelsea was just ah different level to that.

And did you have other options at the time for has many?

Yeah, Um, probably because of my age is Well, I was young, so there was a lot of the bidden a lot of clubs interested, and back in the day, we didn't have a transfer window, so I was being linked here and there and Manager's coming to watch games.

And, um and I actually initially thought I wouldn't be.

I would be moving to Liverpool because I think Gerald Julia showed a lot of interested.

He'd be at a lot of our games at the at the Reebok as we called about that.

So that was sort of the one before Chelsea came in.

When they when they called, when Luka called, it was that was it.

We mentioned that lure off the manager when we're talking about Juicy.

Marie knew it was a similar situation for you.

I do with him.

Yeah, plus the fact that you my career has started off going to holiday, Not I broke my leg and ah, I was told by doctors you're never gonna play at a high level again.

You might as well, you know, concentrate on your on your education, Manus.

If you fight back and two seasons at Bolton Wanderers where I showed, you know, the talents that I had and you know, fighting through it and then making that step is in it was not only a joining Chelsea was just We'll show him the finger to that those doctors that have said I'd never play at that level.

So there was It was just a huge moment for me or no, you both speak about how highly speak of Jang Luke heavily on the fact that he's called you personally.

And that must have been a massive factor.

Why you joined Chelsea.

But in three months of you joining Chelsea, Bialy Scott and cardio Ranieri's come in What's going through your mind then?

Don't forget Gianluca Waas, a magnificent striker, you know?

So for him to call you and wanting you to come to the club that he's managing that this is Matt Cassel arrogance.

But then after three months, you know that happening.

It was a blow.

It was a big blow, you know?

And and also a big surprise.

We didn't expect that at all in the group.

Um, we thought definitely that he waas um well backed by the club as well, you know?

So that's the impression that regard.

So when we found out that that he was gone, it was for me personally.

Remember how you found out?

Uh, no, I called you.

Okay.

Seriously.

Okay.

How did you find out uh, I actually followed football news.

TV was out shopping.

I was still I was not.

I remember seeing it and hearing it.

Yeah, we were still living in the hotel or you were just about to move to Wimbledon.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And I, uh, I saw it off.

What's going on?

Results hadn't gone great.

Start of the season.

Um, I saw Saw it rang up my best pal.

Seeing the news, we couldn't believe it, because it's just we still are in the face off.

We have only just arrived.

And especially it was different for Jimmy because Jimmy arrived as a star.

The main striker.

I was sort of in addition, like we need 34 strikers look, always wanted for strike three or four strikers.

It was at the time it was Jimmy Gianfranco Zola with their Tore Andre Flo.

And then he wanted to sign me as well.

It did say to me, Luca, when he called, uh, yeah, I don't think John Frankel would be here next season.

So there'll be three of you.

But for whatever reason, I'm gonna stay the following season.

I mean, we talk about iconic strike partnerships when teams used to play with two strikes off course.

The locks changed now, York and cold.

But good Johnson and hassle Bank was up there that that 1st 4 season under January, it was 52 goals.

52 goals between you.

Why did it work?

What was a secret?

Uh, I think the main thing waas we we wanted each other to do well, I think if he would school, I would be I would be so happy, you know, for him, you know, and I think by various as well, um, and it just combined.

I also knew, um, where he waas, you know, on the pitch.

I just knew, or he's going to do this and I'm gonna make my run.

He will find me.

Um, we didn't really work on it on training, you know, it's just that it was just that that connection Don't get me wrong.

John Franco was a magnificent football player, technically, absolutely magnificent.

But the connection was not s well, as as as us, you know.

So, yeah, we were just stepped way were probably the talk about 24 was two strikers were complete opposites.

We were as different as we look, but wait.

And as Jimmy said, when I received the bull, I knew where he was going to run or when the ball was being played to me, depending on the pace of the past, he knew when I was going to step over and run away from it.

It was just and, of course, in training.

As soon as we started playing more together, we didn't.

We exaggerated in training, so we probably became even better at it.

But to say that we actually worked on it worked.

It was the tone of that one of the greatest place in Premier League history when the greatest place in Chelsea's history.

So what was he doing?

One while you two were making hay sulking?

But no, but the figures, that's what players do.

And we understood that.

And we we we will go to him and we would hug him because we would love him and we would understand that he was sulking and that that we would appreciate that, you know, and he would appreciate that from us that we we wanted him to be part of it, you know, it was we couldn't do nothing about it that it just worked really well for us, you know?

And he understood that as well.

As hard as it was for him, because he wanted to play and after games, sometimes when he didn't come in, he left home angry, you know?

But that's the professional in him.

You wouldn't want it any any any different.

It was a times heartful for Yeah, I didn't mind so much because on this is being serious.

This is different.

Your situation.

You're the main striker, that Chelsea.

You're bored to be the main goal scorer, so you're always gonna play.

So there's one spot left because we played with two forwards and I wanted to play.

So it's part of the game.

But what I had to deal with as well is right.

I'm playing in front of what is arguably the best player best football in Chelsea tells his history, and he's sitting on the bench because I'm I'm playing, so I must be doing something right.

Well, we must be doing something right.

But I had such admiration for him as well that we often spoke about.

How come Why can't we find a way?

I can't no matter what way to play.

All three of us.

And And don't get us wrong.

We used to go out for dinners and stuff with, like us to JoFranco Robbie Di Matteo rank on another tape.

No.

No way.

We're tight people tight.

You know, we were We were, you know, there was no us to play.

Conjugated got way.

We're always, like, in the same same group he was suffering when the game was being played, you know, because he just wanted to play.

It just didn't work out.

What about the following campaign?

Chelsea securing Champions League qualification beating Liverpool on the last day of the season.

Take us back to that moment.

What did it mean to the team?

How did it feel?

Was a massive match, Wasn't it the way we needed a drawer or a win?

Um, I think we were losing one nil first once I mean, who, Pierre Simon.

He pr score.

Then we were like, Oh, my God, what is happening?

Um, we were actually the better team, and, um, the emotions off it, You know what?

Sky high mustard?

This.

You came hoping to go, and he never scores.

Hey, never clothe, but and, uh yeah, but then we been to one over one way.

Want to one?

Yeah.

Yes.

Okay.

Yes.

Blessed rest.

Yes, but Greinke, do you remember that?

Do you remember the meeting we had in the dressing room before the game?

He doesn't know You're a lot more than I do.

Go.

So, uh, remember Trevor Butts?

Yes.

Have a good chief executive chief executive at the time.

He came in into the restroom before I remember now and he literally tells us, Right?

Yeah.

Just to make you realize the importance of this game for Chelsea Football Club.

We don't win today or don't get the Champions League place, weren't they?

Basically, he said, and we will have to sell off half the squad.

And Chelsea will not be the club that it has been for many, many years.