Ex-Bluebirds helping England's Euro bid

Wales' failure to reach Euro 2024 means that Cardiff City have at least had midfielder Aaron Ramsey report back for the start of pre-season training.

The Wales captain was among those who officially returned to duty at Hensol as summer preparations began.

But while Ramsey and Red Wall fans would no doubt prefer to have been at the Euros instead, a former Ninian Park teammate of the midfielder is still in the thick of things in Germany.

Indeed, many Cardiff fans may have done a double-take when they saw former striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink emerge from the England bench to celebrate as the Three Lions edged past Slovakia in their last-16 match on Sunday night.

Ex-Chelsea striker Hasselbaink has, in fact, been part of Gareth Southgate's backroom staff since last March, the pair having known each other since their days at Middlesbrough together.

Yet the former Dutch international was in the Bluebirds' corner - and in their side - when a breakthrough performance from a 17-year-old Ramsey inspired Cardiff to an FA Cup quarter-final win at the Riverside in 2008 on their way to that year's final.

Hasselbaink scored a memorable goals against Wolves in the previous round that season, starting the final defeat to Portsmouth. In all, he made 44 appearances and scored nine goals in his solitary season in south Wales.

He is not the only former Cardiff player in Southgate's coaching team. Former Bluebirds keeper Martyn Margetson - who was goalkeeper coach during Hasselbaink's time at the club - racked up his 100th game as England's goalkeeping coach in the extra-time win in Gelsenkirchen.

Margetson, who made 32 appearances for Cardiff between 2002 and 2007, is currently in his second spell as part of Swansea's coaching staff.