‘Ruud’ awakening for van Nistelrooy

(GSM) – Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy has admitted that his international career is all but over after failing to make grade in the Netherlands provisional World Cup squad.

The former Real Madrid and Manchester United frontman was not named by coach Bert van Marwijk in the national side’s preliminary squad earlier this week.

The 33-year-old had joined Hamburger SV earlier in the season from Real Madrid, in order to try and prove himself to earn a place in South Africa.

But van Marwijk left him out and he now accepts his international career is finished.

“Of course I am greatly disappointed,” he told Holland’s NOS Studio Sport.

“I do feel that I could have helped the team.

“But now that my World Cup dream has been shattered, I think that my international career is over. I will be 34 in July.

“It became quite clear over the last fortnight that the chances of me playing at the World Cup were rather small.”