Salgado finally gets chance in World Cup spotlight

MANNHEIM, Germany, June 22 (Reuters) Spain fullback Michel Salgado said his World Cup debut against Saudi Arabia in Group H tomorrow would fulfil a career ambition.

''It's a massive thing for me, it's going to be unforgettable,'' said the Real Madrid defender.

''At last my time has come after so much training and so many matches, at last I will be playing in a World Cup. It's the missing piece in my career.'' Salgado, who at 30 is the oldest outfield player in the squad, was not selected for the last World Cup and missed out on Euro 2004 because of injury.

He was also given a scare shortly before the present World Cup when he sustained a muscle strain during their training camp in Spain but said he was now in top form.

''I'm fully fit now and I hope to take my opportunity and show that I'm ready to play whenever the coach needs me.'' Spain are already assured of a place in the last 16 following their 3-1 comeback win over Tunisia and coach Luis Aragones has made it clear that he will take the chance to give the substitutes a chance in tomorrow's match.

STRONGEST ASPECTS Salgado said that one of the strongest aspects of the present Spain squad was that there was no clear first and second team.

''For me there are no first choice players and no subs, but rather 23 players here who are all working to win the World Cup.

Different circumstances will emerge and there will be times when injuries or cards will mean that the team will change.'' Salgado, who has won 50 caps for his country, said that talk of Spain as perennial underachievers was something of a myth, pointing to the fact that the side had nearly always reached the quarter-finals at World Cups.

''People talk of Spain as disappointing, but the disappointment of Spain had always been being in the top eight in the world. So it depends on your perspective as being in the top eight is not so bad in the world of football.'' But he said that the objective of the present squad was to help the side make the last four for the first time in 56 years.

''Our aim now is to be in the top four and enter into the group of teams that have a chance of winning the tournament,'' he said.

''Getting to the semis would be overcoming over a psychological barrier for us and a major achievement for this side.'' Reuters DH GC1806