Van Bommel's Holland hope
Mark van Bommel is anxious to make it back into Holland's squad for the World Cup.
Mark van Bommel is anxious to prove to Holland coach Marco van Basten that he merits a place in the World Cup squad.The Barcelona midfielder was omitted from the Dutch squad for the current qualifying games due to his uneasy relationship with van Basten.
The Oranje coach has not selected van Bommel since the June match against Romania when the player's performance displeased his boss.
Van Basten criticised the former PSV Eindhoven captain's inability to stick to the jobs he had been given in the team.
But though van Bommel has a fight on his hands to reclaim his place in the squad, he is determined to show van Basten he can fit into the team.
Van Bommel admits his ambition is to play for the Oranje at the World Cup and he concedes his absence from the squad has surprised his Barcelona colleagues.
"I will never say goodbye to the Oranje before I have played in a big tournament," van Bommel told Voetbalzone.nl.
"At Barcelona my absence from the squad is a talking point in the locker room.
"My team-mates do not understand why I am not part of the Holland squad.
"But I'm not the one to judge. I would love to play during the World Cup but I have an arrangement with Marco that we keep this whole mess behind closed doors."
