Ruud wants Olympic place
Friday, October 20, 2006

Ruud van Nistelrooy has told officials he wants to play at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Van Nistelrooy has been out of favour for Holland since he was dropped by Marco Van Basten at the World Cup in Germany this summer.

But Charles van Commenee, Holland's chef de mission for the Olympics, revealed the Real Madrid star has declared his interest in playing in China in two years' time.

Though the Olympic football tournament is predominately for youth teams, each country is allowed to field three players older than 21. The Real Madrid striker is 30.

"I have told him that he is more than welcome," van Commenee said in AD Sportwereld.

"Ruud finds the Olympics a fantastic event, he made that very clear to me."

Holland would book their place in Beijing by finishing in the top four at next summer's European Under-21 Championship.

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