Byline: PHIL GORDON
IF the residents of a smart Dutch suburb are startled by raucous cheering on Saturday afternoon they should not be alarmed -- it's just the nearby Motherwell supporters club letting fly with their emotions.
Crowded round the computer to tune into the Scottish Cup Final via the wonder of the internet, Luc Nijholt and son Gianluca will hope to raise the roof of their Utrecht home.
Nijholt was nicknamed 'The Terminator' during his days at Fir Park, famed for his tough tackling and committed attitude that culminated in that glorious Hampden afternoon 10 years ago.
The Dutchman may have travelled all over the world as his career as a coach developed, but part of him never left Lanarkshire and those glory days at Motherwell.
For the benefit of Sportsmail yesterday, he relived those halcyon days, describing them as the best of his life -- yet, ultimately, also some of his saddest.
His last visit to Scotland, in May 2008, was to play in the Phil O'Donnell tribute game at Celtic Park alongside his former Fir Park team-mates. 'Phil named his kid, Luc, after me and that is something I am now very proud of,' said Nijholt. 'We were all part of a special team that won the Scottish Cup for Motherwell, which does not happen often, but it was special off the pitch, too, because we had a great spirit and the players were always going out for meals with our wives and girlfriends.
'It is good that this cup final is between Motherwell and Celtic because that is what you think of when you mention Phil O'Donnell. The last time I saw my old team was at that tribute match in 2008, which was nice, but the occasion was all about helping Phil's wife, Eileen, and their kids.
'It was a very difficult day, very emotional. Even now I still cannot believe he died. He was the young guy in our team in 1991. It was nice to play in front of 60,000 people at Celtic. A few of the waistlines were thicker -- not mine, I still play -- but it was great to see those lads again. We had a team celebration in 2002 and played a friendly at Fir Park, but the day at Celtic Park is something we will remember. 'Being at Motherwell was the best part of my life. Not just because we won the Scottish Cup, but because of the people you meet. My family loved it and it was a pity we had to leave.' Nijholt acknowledges that Motherwell will be underdogs for Saturday's final but believes they should simply look to the 1991 heroes' remarkable semi-final performance when Tommy McLean's team shocked Celtic by winning 4-2 in a replay.
'If anything, that was an even greater result than the final against Dundee United,' added Nijholt. 'We had drawn 0-0 in the semi and no one thought we had a chance in the replay. I remember Tommy McLean going mad at us at half-time and we won 4-2, with Colin O'Neill scoring that great goal -- in fact, I think he is still celebrating.
'In a cup final, any team can win. Of course, Motherwell have a chance against Celtic. You have to believe in yourselves. That is what we did. I know Motherwell beat Celtic in the league this season, so that shows it is possible.' Nijholt will be unable to travel to Glasgow on Saturday, but he and Gianluca -- who plays for FC Utrecht -- will be watching online.
'It's hard to get Scottish games on satellite in Holland, so we will probably have to watch it on the internet,' explained the 49-year-old.
'Gianluca spent the first three years of his life in Scotland and will be a Motherwell fan for the day.'
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