Euro 2008

Coach
Marco VAN BASTEN: Holland’s greatest ever striker - if not the world’s - was inexperienced when he arrived after Euro 2004 and courted controversy by ditching established under-achievers such as Patrick Kluivert, Roy Makaay, Clarence Seedorf, Edgar Davids and Mark van Bommel, before recalling the last for the World Cup squad. Re-introduced Seedorf for the friendly against England in 2006 but the player has withdrawn his services until van Basten moves on to Ajax after the championship.

Goalkeepers
Maarten STEKELENBURG (Ajax): Capable heir-apparent to van der Sar but, for now, must be happy with his rôle as first choice replacement if the main man is injured or sent off.

Henk TIMMER (Feyenoord): Little more than a squad player, the 36-year-old is unlikely to add to his five caps this summer.

Edwin VAN DER SAR (Manchester Utd): Saves the shots he should save, doesn’t save the ones he shouldn’t but his errors are rarer than Dutch fans not wearing silly orange hats. Solid and dependable but without the genius of Schmeichel.

Defenders
Khalid BOULAHROUZ (Sevilla): Central defender of Moroccan descent on loan from Chelsea for a season, which has barely proved happier than his ill-fated year at Stamford Bridge. Called up to replace the injured Babel, which gives the Dutch squad a bit more balance.

Wilfred BOUMA (Aston Villa): Began as a left-winger, became a left-back, now usually employed as a central defender for club and country. His versatility, however, will prove vital in a squad short on defenders.

Tim DE CLER (Feyenoord): Has finally pushed van Bronckhorst back into his old position in midfield in Holland’s recent switch from 4-3-3 to 4-2-3-1; de Cler is now widely considered the best left-back in the country.

John HEITINGA (Ajax > Atlético Madrid): Will move to the Calderón after the tournament, will play in the middle but could cover for Melchiot at right-back, where he played two matches at Euro 2004.

Joris MATHIJSEN (Hamburg): Played abysmally in a 4-3 friendly win in Austria in March - in which Austria had led 3-0 - and looks to have been usurped by Bouma. Strong defender, especially in the air, but little footballing ability.

Mario MELCHIOT (Wigan Athletic): So long limited to international cameo appearances, the former Chelsea FA Cup winner has finally made himself Holland’s first-choice right back.

André OOIJER (Blackburn Rovers): Another versatile defender who can provide cover in the middle or on the right. His time in the Premier League has been disrupted by constant injury problems.

Midfielders
Ibrahim AFELLAY (PSV Eindhoven): Moroccan-descended right-sided dribbling specialist who can play out wide or in the middle. Considered one for the future but could be called upon if van Basten’s first XI are struggling.

Nigel DE JONG (Hamburg): One of the Dutch contingent at Hamburg, a right-back now playing in the olde-worlde right-half rôle, re-invented by van Basten in recent friendlies. Should parter van Bronckhorst in the defensive midfield positions.

Demy DE ZEEUW (AZ Alkmaar): Alternative at right-half, de Zeeuw has a misaligned right leg after breaking it five years ago. Cost AZ just €100,000 in 2006 when transferred from Go Ahead Eagles.

Orlando ENGELAAR (Twente): Holding midfielder who has helped propel Twente into an unlikely Champions League qualification. Short on experience, he is cover for van Bronckhorst.

Arjen ROBBEN (Real Madrid): The best orthodox left-winger in the world, Robben is too often on the treatment table to be depended on at the highest level. Nevertheless, he is missed at his former club Chelsea, for whom Florent Malouda is simply an inadequate replacement.

Wedley SNEIJDER (Real Madrid): Attack-minded set-piece expert who is part of the creative hub at the Bernabéu. Is an invaluable commodity in the modern game - a genuinely two-footed footballer.

Gio VAN BRONCKHORST (Feyenoord): Holland’s left-back for as long as anyone can remember is now the key to their new-found fortmation which has brought them three consecutive friendly wins. Now plays in a left-sided holding rôle reminiscent of the old-fashioned ‘wing-half’.

Rafael VAN DER VAART (Hamburg): Talented left-footed playmaker set to move onwards and upwards to a major team in La Liga come August. Already has 52 caps at just 25, he is now likely to get the regular starting place denied him in the 2006 World Cup.

Strikers

Klaas Jan HUNTELAAR (Ajax): Almost certain to join one of the big clubs in a major league after the tournament, Huntelaar is regarded by some as a better bet than van Nistelrooy at centre-forward.

Dirk KUYT (Liverpool): Has played much of the second half of the season on the right of a front three at Anfield, opposite compatriot Babel. His inclusion surprised many as his outstanding drive and workrate rarely make up for shoddy finished and a first touch that can charitably be described as unique.

Ruud VAN NISTELROOY (Real Madrid): Scored within minutes of his return from an operation lay-off for Real against Barcelona - always likely to ensure popularity in the Spanish capital - and the timing of his ankle treatment meant he would be fit for the finals.

Robin VAN PERSIE (Arsenal): The genuine mirror-image of Babel, an off-right-winger with an explosive left foot shot. Scored with an almost supersonic free-kick against the Ivory Coast in the World Cup two years ago.

Jan VENNEGOOR OF HESSELINK (Celtic): The biggest name in the tournament, literally; ‘of’ means ‘or’ in Dutch, being effectively a double-barrelled surname. Scored the title-winning goal for Celtic at Dundee Utd last week with a trademark header, he is the archetypal go-to target man if things get desperate late on.

Wish You Were Here?
Ryan BABEL (Liverpool): A difficult player to define; Babel is not a winger but an ‘off-winger’ - he likes to play from the left, cutting inside on his stronger right foot. Can play as a passable centre forward but will not be asked to fulfil that duty in the championship. In the original squad but tore ankle ligaments in training and was replaced by Boulahrouz.

Edgar DAVIDS (Ajax), Clarence SEEDORF (Milan), Patrick KLUIVERT (Lille), Roy MAKAAY (Feyenoord), Mark VAN BOMMEL (Bayern Munich): Van Basten is courageous if nothing else - he has been more than happy to usher the Dutch old-guard, who lost in semi-finals in 2000 and 2004 and failed to even qualify for the 2002 World Cup, out of the exit door. Kluivert’s career collapse has been the most spectacular; after being the only Dutch outfield player not to kick a ball in anger at Euro 2004, he waned at Newcastle before forming a long-term relationship with the Valencia treatment room. At PSV, he did little in a season except score against his first club Ajax and can now be found warming the substitutes’ bench at Lille, yet is no old timer at 31, having been born within minutes of Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Tags: Andre Ooijer, Arjen Robben, Demy De Zeeuw, Dirk Kuyt, Edwin Van Der Sar, Euro 2008, Gio Van Bronckhorst, Henk Timmer, Holland, Ibrahim Afellay, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, John Hetinga, Joris Mathijsen, Klaas Jan Huntelaar, Maarten Stekelenburg, Marco Van Basten, Mario Melchiot, Nigel De Jong, Orlando Engelaar, Rafael Van Der Vaart, Robin Van Persie, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Ryan Babel, Tim De Cler, Wesley Sneijder

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