Late Boulahrouz demands Dutch berth

Added to the Netherlands' preliminary squad in the wake of Clarence Seedorf's decision to skip UEFA EURO 2008™, Khalid Boulahrouz is determined to work so hard that Marco van Basten "has to pick me" for the finals.

On the sidelines
The Sevilla FC defender, who is on loan from Chelsea FC, has been unavailable for much of the season with a groin injury and has not played a competitive game since 13 November. Moreover, he has not represented the Netherlands since winning his 21st cap as a substitute in the UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifier against Bulgaria last September.

Shock call-up
"I can understand why people are surprised, given I have not played for a long time because of the injury," said the versatile former RKC Waalwijk and Hamburger SV player. "But, for me, all that matters is that I am with the national team now. I am not just going to enjoy it, because there is a lot of hard work to do. The EURO is approaching fast and I would love to be part of it."

Points to prove
With the 26-year-old finally being declared fit last month, Van Basten clearly had not forgotten Bouhlarouz – although Oranje fans might prefer to overlook the fact he was booked twice and dismissed during the 2006 FIFA World Cup last-16 defeat by Portugal. With his club future in doubt, Boulahrouz has more than one reason to want to impress Van Basten again. "I may be the last player to have joined the squad, but I am no different from the others and just have to prove myself," he said.

Fighting talk
"Whether I am part of the squad is Van Basten's decision. For me, the most important thing is to get fit. I really enjoy being back in training. I will fight very hard to make sure the coach has to pick me for the finals."