A loyal servent

GREECE OUT Greece goalie Antonis Nikopolidis (L) falls to miss the ball, as Sweden scores its first goal, against Greece, during their friendly soccer match at Harilaou stadium in Thessaloniki, 13 February 2002. AFP PHOTO EPA/ACTION IMAGES

A late arrival on the Greek national scene, Antonis Nikopolidis has now made the goalkeeping job his own and is a key figure in coach Otto Rehhagel's plans for Euro 2004.

Born in Arta in north-west Greece, he cut his professional teeth in the depths of the Greek third division back in the 80's playing for local club Anagenisi.

Juventus Turin's Gianluca Zambrotta (R) reacts after Panathinaikos Athens' goalkeeper Antonios Nikopolidis saved his shot in a Champions League Group E match in Athens 08 November 2000.

After six years of valuable experience, one of the biggest clubs in the country, Panathinaikos had seen enough to bring him to Athens as cover for then first-choice custodian Josef Wandzik.

In his early years in Athens, he made only a handful of appearances but was given a serious crack at the number one jersey in 1996 and he did not let the opportunity pass him by.

He became first-choice for Panathinaikos though the club had let slip their status as the dominant team in the country with the emergence of cross-town rivals Olympiakos.

National job

Panathinaikos Athens's Leonidas Vokolos (2-L) and Goalie Nikopolidis Antonis (L) clash in mid-air with Sturm Graz's Markuss Schopp (R, top) while Athens' Saric (bottom R) looks on during their group A Champions League soccer match in Athens 20 February 2001. Others are unidentified. EPA PHOTO EPA/LOUISA GOULIAMAKI

In August, 1999, he was handed his first international cap for Greece under Vassilios Daniil playing in the 3-1 win over El Salvador but there was stiff competition for the number one job with the presence of Ilias Atmatzidis and Dimitris Eleftheropoulos.

With the arrival of German coach Rehhagel at the helm of the national team, Nikopolidis found himself first-choice for Greece in 2001 and once had a streak of 564 playing minutes between August 2002 and January 2003 where he kept a clean sheet.

He also played a key role, at the age of 32, in Greece's somewhat surprising qualification for Euro 2004 as they edged group favourites Spain into second place.