Das Phantom relishes once-in-a-lifetime chance

Roy Makaay, aka Das Phantom, is ready to strike fear into the hearts of his opponents and capitalise on the Dutch Olympic renaissance. He wants to make the most of a 'once-in-a-lifetime' chance. 'For a footballer, you may only get the chance to compete in the Olympic Games once in your lifetime, so if you get the chance to be one of the over-age players in the Olympic squad, you have to take it,' says the 33-year-old Makaay, looking forward to his first Olympic experience. After a long break of 56 years, the Netherlands are back in the Olympic picture, drawn in group B with Nigeria, Japan and the United States in the preliminary round of the 16-team men's football competition, to be played across five cities in the mainland. Group B will be in Tianjin. Makaay, who earned the nickname Das Phantom for his predatory goal-scoring skills during four seasons with German giants Bayern Munich (2003-07), is impatient for the action to start. 'The Olympics are a unique tournament and it will be a great experience to be part of it. I'm looking forward to getting the feeling the other Olympic athletes will be experiencing,' said Makaay, who will feature in the ING Cup in Hong Kong. The Netherlands, Ivory Coast, Cameroon and the United States are all bound for the Olympics and will figure in an intensive warm-up at the Hong Kong Stadium on July 30 and August 2. For much of the past decade, Makaay has been renowned as one of Europe's top strikers. He represented the Netherlands between 1996 and 2005, winning 43 caps, and was part of the team which reached the semi-finals at the 2000 and 2004 European Championship. 'My experience will add something to the team. I have played at international level for more than 10 years, playing club football in Spain and Germany. I have also played two European Championships, and the 1998 European Under-21 championships. So I know how it works,' Makaay said. During his time with Deportivo La Coruna (1999-2003), he won La Liga in 2000 and the 2002 Copa Del Rey. After topping the La Liga 2002-03 scoring table with 29 goals, Makaay was honoured with the European Golden Boot award. In the 2002-03 Champions League, Makaay scored a hat-trick in Deportivo's 3-2 win against Bayern Munich and the German giants later signed him for a then club-record fee of US$20 million. During his stay with Deportivo, Makaay scored 79 goals. With Bayern he netted 78. Last year he returned to Holland when he signed on for Feyenoord. He hopes his touch will help the Dutch in their bid to win a first Olympic gold medal in soccer. 'In Holland, soccer isn't normally associated with the Olympics. But now the Dutch team will be present at the Games for the first time in 56 years and it is an exciting challenge,' he said. So determined are the Dutch, that Makaay says the squad is bound for Beijing having mothballed the Olympic creed that what matters most it taking part. 'We're not going with the Olympic creed in mind, where 'the most important thing is not to win but to take part'. We want to win a medal. We always aim for the highest,' he said. But Makaay predicts the road will be fraught with danger, especially in the form of favourites Brazil and Argentina. Although the Jong Orange won back-to-back U-21 titles in Europe in 2007 and 2007, they can expect a tough time. 'The last two teams which won the Uefa U-21 titles were very talented. But you can't compare these teams with this Olympic squad since there are some changes to the players. Also the opponents in China will be of a different level, just look at Brazil and Argentina,' says Makaay. Makaay is one of three over-age players in the under-23 squad. The other two are Gerald Sibon, a striker, and defender Kew Jaliens. The chance to play against two African teams in Hong Kong [the Dutch take on Cameroon on the first day and then meet Ivory Coast in the other game] was welcomed by Makaay. 'It's very useful to have two test games, in which you can try some things and improve your game. And with Nigeria as our first opponents in the Olympics, it will be a good experience playing against African teams in Hong Kong. We will also get the chance to watch the US who we will meet in the Olympics,' he said. While winning will always be the first priority, Makaay joked that he wouldn't be too worried if there were a few hiccups in Hong Kong. 'If we lose in Hong Kong and win a medal at the Olympics, it will be fine by me,' Makaay smiled. 'But we'll do our utmost to perform well here.'