Mascherano accepts Olympic call-up

Liverpool's Javier Mascherano has set his sights on winning the Olympic Games and the Premier League after revealing he will travel to Beijing.

Mascherano: Has Olympic dream
Mascherano: Has Olympic dream

The 24-year-old has accepted his call-up as an over-age player to Argentina's Under 23 squad for August's Games and will fly to China after the Reds' pre-season friendly with Hertha Berlin on Tuesday.

Mascherano will, therefore, miss Liverpool's opening Premier League fixtures with Sunderland and Middlesbrough, but he is hopeful his team-mates will have made a bright start when he returns.

Having won the Olympics in 2004, Mascherano is eager to secure another gold medal and the Premier League trophy this season.

"I will go to the Olympics," Mascherano told the Liverpool Echo. "I will leave the team for one month.

"Hopefully I will go to Beijing and win the gold medal for my country and come back and win the title with Liverpool.

"It was important for me to do the pre-season with the team so I can get to know my new team-mates before I go to the Olympics.

"We are all working hard and hopefully the work we are doing now will help us to have a good season and we will try to win some trophies.

"It isn't easy because we are doing two training sessions a day and we are working very hard.

"But as the days go by we are having more and more contact with the ball and when the new season arrives I think we will be ready for the Premier League."

Your Comments

zzkto66

"Dont worry zendenling, it is a proud to representing your country. How many players in Chelsea player could be send to Olymics, None or less. Means even you will the EPL. Only EPL Hero. Olympic watched by double or triple more people to know who is Liverpool Player. We proud of it. Sorry to said that. "

tomsampson (Aston Villa fan)

"Hey slabbi ----- Ever been to China?? Know anything about the place? or its politics? NO YOU DONT. I happen to be in Beijing now where ive been for the last year - you are one of the people I hate. I guess you read the tabloids about Tibet...there was ONE foreign journalist there and he works for the Economist. Every other story was fabricated or a story that took sides - mainly with the tibetans - who ruthlessly beat up chinese women and children, burnt their businesses and their homes. The chinese gvmt just stopped them - with force - and rightly so. If they want independence (which theyve never had anyway and have no divine right to) then they can carrying on lobbying for it. And the Human rights thing...China should execute less people. BUT LOOK HOW MANY THERE ARE - of course there will be many executed as a result of 20 times more murderers, etc etc etc. plus its a different civilisation. China does not see society through a christian european framework and its policies reflect that - something that, you, I and any other westerner will ever be able to quite understand. so shut up. Good luck mascherano!"

FlashLFC (Liverpool fan)

"I can understand Masch's decision. As much as you would want to play in a high class footballing team like liverpool, nothing could compare to representing your country even if it is on a lesser level such as the olympics. The best of luck to him."

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