CLYDE WIJNHARD once hit a treble for Huddersfield Town in a memorable  7-1 Championship win over Crystal Palace.

Twelve years on, the striker from  Suriname has a hat trick of interests after  hanging up his boots back in 2006.

“Life is busy,” smiles the 38-year-old, who scored 18 goals in 73 appearances for  Town between the summer of 1999, when  he signed from Leeds for £750,000, and March 2002, when he left for Preston on a  free transfer.

“I’m still involved in football through  coaching juniors in Leeds, and I also work  with agents both here and abroad to set  up trials for promising young players.

“But I also wanted to pursue other  avenues, and I have set up a business  which supplies LED lighting and am also  involves in an events and marketing  company.

“It’s going well, especially with the  lighting. It’s a green product, energy  efficient, and in theory, there will always  be a demand for it.

“I work closely with local councils, and  the government are keen to push  environmentally-friendly products like  mine.

“Business is very different from  football, but I have enjoyed learning the  ropes and I am passionate about the  product.”

While born in the South American  republic of Suriname, Wijnhard’s  footballing career began at the famed  youth academy of Dutch giants Ajax.

He first caught the eye while on loan to  Groningen and his subsequent scoring  exploits at RKC Waalwijk and Willem II  of Tilburg were enough to persuade then  Leeds boss George Graham to shell out  £1.5m to bring him to the Premier League  ahead of the 1998-99 campaign.

Unfortunately for Wijnhard, Graham  moved to Tottenham just two months into  the season, with David O’Leary taking  over at Elland Road.

“As with any job, if your manager leaves  soon after you have signed and someone  else comes in with a completely different  philosophy, it can be extremely difficult,”  explains Wijnhard.

“I was still young and a bit naive and  had just moved to a new country. I had  been sold the vision of the club through  the eyes of George Graham, and while it is  no slight on David O’Leary, what I was  left with was not what I expected at all.

“Any manager wants to build a team in  his own image and with his own players,  and unfortunately for me I was still  finding my feet in the Premier League and  didn’t quite fit in.”

Wijnhard was made available for a  transfer the following summer, and Steve  Bruce, newly installed at Town, soon  stepped in.