SOUTHAMPTON hockey star Alex Danson has unfinished business at the Olympic Games after a bronze medal in London four years ago.

Now 31 years old, the former Trojans colt is heading for her third – and possibly her final – sortie to the Olympics in Rio in August, which she is planning to make very memorable.

Danson, who made her international debut at 16, travels to Brazil as a lynchpin of the Great Britain team, having made 261 appearances and 93 goals for England and Great Britain during a 15-year professional career.

That vast experience means she is well-placed to give judgement on the chances of Danny Kerry’s side bettering their third place last time out in 2012.

With a squad offering a mix youngster and more senior players, Danson reckons that balance that spread of ages will be an advantage.

“We have got a very, very talented squad with a lot of depth and also have a nice blend of experience and youth which is fantastic,” said the Southampton-born forward.

“We are really excited going into these Olympics.”

With England Danson has won 14 medals, most recently EuroHockey Nations Championships gold last year, where she netted a stunning hat-trick against Germany on the way to glory.

But she has experienced comparably less success with Great Britain.

The bronze in London is arguably the highlight of her GB career after failing to qualify from the pool matches at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 during her debut Games.

Now she is hoping that all the hard-work that the team has put in the lead up to their departure to Rio will pay dividends.

“I remember London being a Games which just had total heart and the support was unbelievable. I don’t think anyone expected everyone to get behind the Games as much as they did,” Danson explains.

“Keep the fingers crossed [that GB can improve on Bronze]. That is the plan, that is what we have been training for and that is what we all hope will happen.

“We have a few fun weeks which will give us a great opportunity to make a couple of tweaks. I can’t believe how quickly it has come around.”

Danson, who wants to become a teacher after her playing days, will never say never when it comes to making it four Olympic Games in 2020 in Tokyo – although she would be in the final throes of her career at that point as a 35-year-old.

“I would love to carry on playing, but sometimes that is out of your hands. If I can continue playing and continue contributing to the team I would love to,” Danson said.

“Half of my life I have spent doing something that is incredibly rewarding and has the best of the absolute best and the lowest of the absolute low.

“You never know when your last [game] is so it [Rio] is an experience I am going to enjoy. I am going to leave everything out there and then I can be proud whatever happens.”