Ruud van Nistelrooy recalled to Netherlands squad after two years of being left out
Ruud Van Nistelrooy has been recalled to the Dutch national team as a result of Robin Van Persie getting injured this past weekend and not being available to participate in any football matches for the next ten days.
The prolific striker was recalled to train with the Dutch squad earlier today for the first time in nearly two years, according to a press statement released by the Dutch football association.
The national side’s coach Bert van Marwijk recalled the thirty-four year old striker, who currently plays for SV Hamburg in the German Bundesliga, to replace Robin van Persie, who injured his already-injured ankle in Arsenal's Premier League match against the Blackburn Rovers this past Saturday.
Prior to this, Van Nistelrooy has played in sixty-four games for the national side and scored thirty three goals. The player had quit playing internationally after the Euro 2008. He quit after the Netherlands side was defeated by Russia; however, the forward has gone back on his decision and expressed his desire to make a comeback on the international stage.
The player was, however, still left out of the Netherlands’ 2010 World Cup side that travelled to South Africa and ended up finishing as runners-up.
In a press conference that was conducted by Van Marwijk, he was reported to have said:
"Ruud looked fresh and sharp and that has all to do that he played the end of the season then had holiday and completed the whole pre-season build-up.
"But this was one match and we also have to consider his age as he will be 36 in two years, but when he plays like this we can't ignore him."
Netherlands will start their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign on Friday in San Marino and host Finland next week.
Van Nistelrooy, even though 34-years old now, is still one of the most prolific and lethal strikers out there. The forward is the reason the term fox in the box was invented. He has almost never missed a shot that he has taken from inside the box, and tends to be in the right place at the right time.
His shots taken to goal scored rate is arguably one of the best the game has ever seen. There are currently no strikers left out there that define the word ‘poacher’; however, Van Nistelrooy is the living definition of that word, as the forward is always looking for a loose ball or an opportunity to jump out of nowhere and score a goal. His recall to the national side can only mean good things for both the player and the team.
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