Despite attracting interest from Barnsley this summer, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink opted to stay put at Burton Albion for the time being. 

After saving Albion from relegation in the 2020-21 season, the manager took them to a solid 16th placed finish last season and will now be looking to build upon that and push further up the table.

However, despite clearly being happy at Burton and wanting to stay put, the 50-year-old has hinted that he may be targeting a job at former club Middlesbrough in the future.

Talking to Teesside Live, he said: "I am very ambitious and, if you are doing this job, you have to want to manage or coach at the highest level.

"My challenge now is how far can I take Burton. I had two magnificent years at Middlesbrough and I always look at how they are doing.

"Getting into Europe and finishing in the club's highest league position was definitely a highlight for me and, then, the run to the UEFA Cup final was outstanding. But they have a magnificent manager and coach at the moment and they are going in the right direction.

"I do like the club, but I'm not getting ahead of myself. I respect the guy who is managing the club now and I'm concentrating on what I need to do, so we'll just see what happens in the future."

The Verdict: 

Floyd Hasselbaink has done a brilliant j0b with Burton over the past couple of seasons and should he carry on this way, he could definitely look at targeting a job up at the top end of the Championship.

However, as he points out himself, he needs to work on his own project right now and Middlesbrough have a great manager currently in Chris Wilder.

The manager clearly had a good time with Boro as a player and he would no doubt be keen to return to the club if the opportunity did ever arise although for now he will be focusing on his current role.