JIMMY-FLOYD Hasselbaink doesn't mind admitting that when he returns to AZ Alkmaar tonight the Dutch supporters are going to see a much better player than the one who was left on the football scrapheap.

In his younger days, when he was trying to make a name for himself in the game, Hasselbaink spent two unsuccessful seasons with Alkmaar after joining them from another club in Holland, Telstar.

But, after scoring just two goals in 35 appearances in two years between 1991 and 1993, the Boro striker was discarded by coach Henk Wullens and told to look for a new club.

From that point Hasselbaink, who was very nearly forced to return to a life of crime that had seen him spend time in prison before playing professionally, was forced to play a further two years in non-league circles.

Undeterred, he was eventually given the chance to impress in Portugal with Campomaiorense, kick-starting a career that took him to Leeds, Atletico Madrid and Chelsea before arriving at the Riverside Stadium 15 months ago.

Now he is ready to show Alkmaar exactly what they missed out on when Boro play the Eredivisie title challengers in the group stage of the UEFA Cup tonight.

"At AZ the manager just didn't see any potential in me," said Hasselbaink, who claims in his autobiography that his former coach, Wullens, did not have a clue about football.

"He just didn't like the way I played and that was his right because he was manager.

"Everyone has that privilege. I wasn't given a chance so I can't say he was right.

"If I'd been given ten starts and been rubbish I could have seen it. I feel quite excited about going back. I don't know how they will receive me.

"I will be coming back ten times better.

"I've achieved something while I've been gone. I've become a Dutch international.

"They didn't see that. I can go back with my head held high and they will look at me as having done something."

Alkmaar's coach, Louis van Gaal, was actually in charge of the Holland squad when Hasselbaink earned a clutch of his international caps.

And the 33-year-old has nothing but praise for one of his former mentors.

"Van Gaal is very special," he said. "Just the way he stands in front of his squad and way he shows his knowledge of football is special.

"He's a proper football man. No nonsense, just honesty.

"That's what all footballers want, even if they don't like what they hear.

"I prefer someone being brutally frank than someone who fiddles around the point and tries to stab you in the back. I totally respect him.

"I'm looking forward more to playing against his team than against AZ itself."

l Dmitri Loskov scored a second-half hat-trick as Lokomotiv Moscow came from 2-0 down to beat Brondby in a UEFA Cup Group B match last night.