June 2006 - Laurence Docherty gambled his international future on becoming a Dutch citizen and playing for the Netherlands when he turned his back on his native Scotland. Now he stands on the brink of realising his dream and playing in major tournaments after being named in the Netherlands squad.

After a wait of nearly three years, Edinburgh-born Laurence Docherty has at last been selected for the Netherlands men’s squad, moving one major step nearer his ambition - to play in the Olympic Games and win a gold medal.The former Scotland representative, who plays for Klein Switzerland in the Dutch domestic league, has been frustrated in his ambitions to become a fully-fledged Dutch international and was still awaiting his new passport in May.

'I’ve been promised I’ll have my passport in three weeks’ time,' said a relieved Docherty at the time. 'FIH refused permission for me to join the squad any earlier because I had played for Scotland, although not for Great Britain in a major tournament. When that all-important document arrives, Docherty will no longer be a Scot, and can call himself a fully-fledged Dutchman. And the Netherlands, as the world’s aficionados know very well, are among the top three hockey nations on the planet.

Docherty’s call-up into the Dutch squad of 24 comes as national coach Roelent Oltmans is preparing his players for a busy international summer.The schedule takes in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Kuala Lumpur this month, the Sahara Hockey Champions Trophy in Terrassa (July), the Hamburg Masters tournament (August), before reaching a climax at the BDO Hockey World Cup in Monchengladbach in September.

Docherty needs to make sure he makes the cut to the 18 players selected for each tournament, but he would never have experienced any of these events if he had remained a Scot. If he makes the Dutch World Cup squad, he will be the first Scottish-born player ever to take part in that tournament. 'It’s fantastic,' he exclaimed. 'It’s what I’ve been trying to do for the last two years. And it will give me a great taste for top-level hockey before the challenge of getting to the Olympics in Beijing.' So what are his chances? Docherty himself insists he has as much chance as any of the others in the squad.

A more detached view is offered by Oltmans: 'If his chances weren’t realistic, he wouldn’t be in the squad. I wouldn’t have picked him. 'I know some people might regard him as a foreigner, but he’s been playing in the Dutch league for six years, and these are important matches. 'I’m completely convinced of his dedication and fitness. He works very hard in midfield, and you need a good group of players to be pushed by their compatriots.

Now Docherty has settled in Amsterdam with his Scottish hockey partner, Angela Gallen, who played for Glasgow Western.'She left her job with Scottish & Newcastle in Glasgow last year in order to come and join me here,' says Docherty, a fluent Dutch speaker. 'Now she’s got a job with Unilever, and we’re very relaxed.
His family back in Edinburgh have been behind him from the start, and they call each other every day. 'But I have missed the international summer hockey programme every year, and I miss the Scottish guys a lot. But I have to show that I can do it.'

His coach agrees: 'Laurence has strong opinions, and that is something I like. I know him as a character with a dream, and I like people who think constantly of how we can make our dreams come true.' 'I’m in the middle of nine months of non-stop training, running and fitness work. As long as I can play as I know I can, I will sustain my Olympic dream,' Docherty says.

		Fact File  Born Position International Caps International Debut Last international match	Laurence Docherty 24 February 1980 Midfield 48 Scotland v Ireland, Scottish Hockey Centenary Tournament 2000 Scotland v Poland, European Nations Cup 2003