LEEDS striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has been forced to cancel his holiday plans because he is going to the World Cup instead. Dutch coach Guus Hiddink announced his 22-man squad yesterday and made Surinam-born Hasselbaink the surprise inclusion.
Hasselbaink, who has never been included in a Holland squad at any level before, has scored 22 goals in all competitions this season and has inspired Leeds into the UEFA Cup after joining last summer from Portuguese club Boavista for £2million. He said: I'm quite surprised and very pleased. I wasn't really expecting to be called up now so I'm going to cancel my holiday plans to go to Holland and I've no problem with that. But I've had a good season and this is my reward. Hiddink phoned me on Friday to tell me the news and said something about my expected contribution which will remain between me and him.
Hasselbaink is one of four England-based strikers in Hiddink's squad, alongside Arsenal's pair of Dennis Bergkamp and Marc Overmars and newly-promoted Nottingham Forest's Pierre van Hooijdonk. New Manchester United acquisition Jaap Stam, who cost £10.5million a world record for a defender is also included. Chelsea's Ed de Goey has also been named but is likely to be only third choice.
Hiddink has also recalled former rebel Edgar Davids after a two-year absence. The Juventus midfielder was sent home during Euro 96 after making claims about racial rifts in the Dutch camp and did not play in any of their World Cup qualifiers. But he has made his peace with Hiddink as well as being in outstanding form for Juve, who won the Italian league title at the weekend.

DONS HOPEFULS IN FITNESS RACE Wimbledon manager Joe Kinnear has admitted World Cup hopefuls Robbie Earle, Marcus Gayle and Efan Ekoku are facing a race against time to be fit for the finals. Jamaican team-mates Earle and Gayle have a broken toe and a damaged calf respectively, while Nigerian Ekoku's goal-scoring return to the side at Leeds for the final game of the season on Sunday was only his second appearance since January. "Robbie is going off with Jamaica but he's thinking about having injections in his toe to freeze it," said Kinnear. He added: "Gayle has a calf injury but he's travelling with Jamaica too. Whether Ekoku will get a call-up or not I don't know. He's hoping he will, but he's been plagued with injuries this season. It's a race against time for all of them." Dons goalkeeper Neil Sullivan, who is pushing for inclusion in Scotland's team that opens the World Cup against Brazil on June 10th, is believed to be fit.

FRENCH DON'T LOVE CUP MOANS PLATINI Football legend Michel Platini, president of the France 98 organising committee, has complained that his countrymen don't love the Cup. "France hasn't really understood the importance of the World Cup. The sport is a religion in many countries. Not in France, he blasted. The former midfield great complained that foreign firms were much more interested in becoming sponsors than local businesses and accused Paris authorities of handicapping the June 9 ‘Festival of Football', a £5 million extravaganza of four parades that will converge on the centre of the capital the day before the tournament starts. "You cannot imagine the problems we have had with the police, with the administration," Platini said. "If we hadn't done it, I think they would have been happier." Meanwhile an anti-World Cup group, La Coupe est Pleine (the Cup is Full), says it will distribute stickers declaring soccer-free zones and organise picnics and theatre showings where soccer talk will be banned. "We want to be protected from Platini's deluge," said Laurent Terisse, who helped set up the group.

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