Postiga aiming for Olympics

Helder Postiga wants to forget his crushing disappointment at Portugal's Euro 2004 defeat by helping his country go for gold at the Olympics.

The Spurs striker, who says he plans to sort out his White Hart Lane future this week, told Standard Sport that he would love to play at next month's Games.

Should he still be at Spurs under new boss Jacques Santini, a place in the Portugal squad for Athens would rule him out of contention for some first-team games at the start of next season because they coincide with the Olympic tournament.

First, though, 21- year- old Postiga and Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo have to discover whether they are wanted in the Olympic Under-23 squad which qualified for the Games without their help.

"I'll see if I'm in the squad when they name the team this month," Postiga said. "For me, the Olympics is a big chance but I don't know the squad yet. Losing (to Greece) is a big, big sadness for me. Portugal proved in this tournament that we were a big team and to lose in the final makes the people very sad." Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari asked for forgiveness from the Portugese people as a nation appeared to be suffering from awful anti-climax today.

"We ask forgiveness from all the Portuguese because we weren't able to achieve the goal that we all wanted," he said. "It's hard. It's hard to lose this way."

Meanwhile, Paul Merson has revealed his gambling problems have resurfaced but believes he has the situation under control.

It has been reported the former England and Arsenal midfielder, who has battled a 20-year addiction against alcohol, drugs and gambling, was spending thousands of pounds a day at the bookmakers.

Although he refutes the figures being quoted, Merson, who went to America earlier this year in an attempt to gain help with his addiction problems, admitted he had lapsed back into gambling.

"I have to admit that I regressed into gambling during the summer," said Walsall manager Merson.

"I now have this situation back under control."