Tom Cleverley and Ryan Giggs will play for Team GB at the London Olympics this summer (Getty)
This afternoon it was announced by Team GB coach, Stuart Pearce that both Tom Cleverley and Ryan Giggs have made the final 18 man squad for this summers Olympic football tournament. The squad is built with 15 players of 23-years and under, and three overage players. Ryan Giggs at 38-years old is certainly a great option for Team GB to try to win gold this summer. Tom Cleverley has had some injury problems during last season, which looked like they were never going to get better at one point. It’s good to see Tom back and ready to go, but it may be late September/October time before we see him playing for Manchester United again, that is if Team GB go all the way to the Gold medal match or even the Bronze medal match.
David Beckham was tipped to be part of the 18 man squad for the Olympics, but Stuart Pearce omitted him from the squad at the weekend, despite anger from supporters and former team-mates. I feel he should have made the squad, as he still has the fitness levels needed, and the skill and ability to play a part for Team GB. Sadly the coach does not see it the same way as I do. Also Gareth Bale was tipped to make it into the final 18 man squad, but a recurrence of a back injury forced him to pull out over the weekend.
This will be the first time Team GB has entered the Olympics since 1972 when The FA disbanded the team. This is a one-off in 2012 because of the Olympics being hosted in the United Kingdom. Both Scotland and Northern Ireland did not want to partake in the Olympics through fear of their national football teams losing their identity.
The full 18 man Team GB squad;
Goalkeepers:
Jack Butland (Birmingham), 19 England
Jason Steele (Middlesbrough), 21 England
Defenders:
Ryan Bertrand (Chelsea), 22 England
Steven Caulker (Tottenham), 20 England
Craig Dawson (West Brom), 22 England
Micah Richards (Manchester City), 24 England
Neil Taylor (Swansea), 23 Wales
James Tomkins (West Ham), 23 England
Midfielders:
Joe Allen (Swansea), 22 Wales
Tom Cleverley(Manchester United), 22 England
Jack Cork (Southampton), 23 England
Ryan Giggs (Manchester United), 38 Wales
Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal), 21 Wales
Danny Rose (Tottenham), 22 England
Scott Sinclair (Swansea), 23 England
Forwards:
Craig Bellamy (Liverpool), 32 Wales
Marvin Sordell (Bolton), 21 England
Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea), 22 England
Match Schedule:
Team GB will play in the following games at this years Olympics;
26th July 2012 – Team GB v Senegal – Old Trafford, Manchester – KO 20:00
29th July 2012 – Team GB v United Arab Emirates – Wembley Stadium, London – KO 19:45
1st August 2012 – Team GB v Uruguay – Millennium Stadium, Cardiff – KO 19:45
Should Team GB win the group or become runners-up they will either play;
Quarter Final – 4th August 2012 – (26) Wembley Stadium, London – KO 14:30 (Group Runner-up) or (28) Millennium Stadium, Cardiff – KO 19:30 (Group Winner)
Should Team GB make it to/win the Quarter Final, they will either play;
Semi Final – 7th August 2012 – Wembley Stadium, London – KO 17:00 (If win match 26) or Old Trafford, Manchester – KO 19:45 (If win match 28)
If Team GB do make it this far and lose the Semi Final, they will play in a Bronze medal match;
Bronze Medal Match – 10th August 2012 – Millennium Stadium, Cardiff – KO 19:45
Or if Team GB make to the latter stages they could play in the final;
Gold Medal Final – 11th August 2012 – Wembley Stadium, London – KO 15:00
By Paul Bienkowski
