By Bryn Palmer, Sydney

"And where was the German defence? But frankly, who cares?" opined a delirious Barry Davies in Seoul 12 years ago, as the elation of Imran Sherwani's clinching goal got the better of even that most impartial of commentators.

It was one of those Olympic moments that lives in the memory of sports fans everywhere, the feats of Britain's men's hockey team capturing the attention of a nation on their way to a glorious gold medal in 1988.

The man most readily associated with that achievement was Sean Kerly, the individual star in a whole team of heroes, whose eight goals during the competition, including a hat-trick in the semi final and one in the 3-1 final victory over Germany, made him a household name.

Kerly, also part of the team that won bronze four years earlier in Los Angeles, retired from international hockey after the Barcelona Games of 1992, but still managed half-a-dozen matches as player-manager of Canterbury in the National League this season.

Now 40, the former goal poacher par excellence will be giving BBC listeners and viewers his thoughts on the current British team's performances in Sydney, starting with Saturday's opening pool match against reigning Olympic and world champions Holland.

He admits he would rather be sweating blood for the cause and frightening opposing defenders, but while the legs may have slowed, the Olympic flame of hope and opportunity that will light up Stadium Australia on Friday night clearly still fires the Kerly imagination.

"It is the only place to be in the world for two weeks if you love sport," he declared.

"It doesn't matter what sport it is or whether it is not the sport you usually follow, the magic of the Olympics will always be with me.

"Of course there is no substitute for playing, and I would love to be out there with the boys. But I am too old! My time has gone. But I still enjoy the whole thing, and it is a privilege to be here."

As an opening assignment, Holland present a stiff test for current captain Jon Wyatt and his team, and with Pakistan and Germany also in a group made up by Canada and Malaysia, it will take a monumental effort for Britain to make the semi-finals.

A poor Champions' Trophy campaign at the end of May, in which they lost five out of six games, hardly inspired confidence, but Kerly remains optimistic about their medal chances.

"It is a different situation to '88 where we had got the bronze four years before, we had come second in the World Cup two years later and we were seeded two in the tournament, so we knew we could do it," he explained.

"But in a similar way, we came last in the Champions' Trophy before the Olympics, so our form at the time was not good, but we knew we had the track record behind us.

"These guys don't know if they can do it or not, and they get very fed up with it being rammed down their throats all the time.

"But if any team has the potential to win...they have just got to do it, haven't they? I believe they can, but they have got to believe it."

This British team, by common consensus, is a "team without stars", a factor that has seen them draw collective strength from a difficult qualifying period to produce some encouraging recent results, including a 3-0 win over the Dutch last month.

Should they repeat that feat on Saturday, the wider sporting public might quickly become familiar with the likes of Danny Hall, a pacey forward, the skilful Mark Pearn, veteran centre half David Hackett, the 36-year-old Welshman who coach Barry Dancer says is "playing like a 26-year-old", goalkeeper Simon Mason and Wyatt, a calming influence at the back. Then there is Calum 'Stiggi' Giles, the short-corner specialist who when he is on form, expects to convert half of those opportunities into goals.

"If he does that, we are going to be in with a big shout," declares Kerly, who believes Holland could be vulnerable in their opening match, while Britain will have "nothing to lose".

To reach the last four and contest a medal, Britain are likely to have to beat either the Dutch or Germany, as well as Pakistan.

"It's going to be tough, and if you look at our world ranking (six), that is where you'd expect us to finish," Kerly added.

"But I am always hopeful, and if they get off to a good start, anything can happen. The margins between the top six and eight are very close."