18-player Team GB squad confirmed for Tokyo Olympics
Manchester City players dominate the Great Britain women’s Olympic squad named by interim England coach Hege Riise, with more than half of those named in the selection from the sky blues.
All but three of the 18-strong group are English, with Chelsea’s Sophie Ingle called up from the Wales squad and Caroline Weir and Kim Little representing Scotland.
Welcoming our women’s football squad for #Tokyo2020 ⚽
Proudly supported by @haven pic.twitter.com/5I7V4iqD7s
— Team GB (@TeamGB) May 27, 2021
There are five veterans from the 2012 Olympics on home soil, with Steph Houghton, Karen Bardsley, Jill Scott, Ellen White and the aforementioned Little all part of the side nine years ago.
Bardsley is perhaps the most surprising call up, having played only sparingly in 2021, especially with the impressive level of depth available to Riise in the goalkeeper position.
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Names like Lucy Bronze, Georgia Stanway, Fran Kirby and Nikita Parris are fully expected, although there is no place for Arsenal pair Jordan Nobbs and Beth Mead, or Manchester City defender Alex Greenwood, which may be considered a surprise.
Tell 10-year-old Lucy she’s going to the Olympics… Dream big ?#Tokyo2020 #TeamGB pic.twitter.com/WTreO4PMKT
— Lucy Bronze (@LucyBronze) May 27, 2021
But with Olympic squads limited to just 18 players, rather than the usual 23 at other international tournaments, on top of a wider talent pool as ‘Team GB’, the task of selection is much more ruthless. Unlike the men’s Olympic tournament, there is no age limit in the women’s competition.
Each competing country is permitted to name four reserve players in addition. Those players will travel with the squad to Japan and be called into the squad at any point during the tournament if any of the original 18 have to withdraw because of injury.
Riise has seemingly quite deliberately chosen young emerging talent for the reserve list, with Sandy MacIver, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Niamh Charles and Ella Toone all 22 or younger.
Goalkeepers: Karen Bardsley, (Man City/England), Ellie Roebuck (Man City/England)
Defenders: Millie Bright (Chelsea/England), Lucy Bronze (Man City/England), Rachel Daly (Houston Dash/England), Steph Houghton (Man City/England), Demi Stokes (Man City/England), Leah Williamson (Arsenal/England)
Midfielders: Sophie Ingle (Chelsea/Wales), Kim Little (Arsenal/Scotland), Jill Scott (Man City/England), Keira Walsh (Man City/England), Caroline Weir (Man City/Scotland)
Forwards: Lauren Hemp (Man City/England), Fran Kirby (Chelsea/England), Nikita Parris (Lyon/England), Georgia Stanway (Man City/England), Ellen White (Man City/England)
Reserves: Sandy MacIver (Everton/England), Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal/England), Niamh Charles (Chelsea/England), Ella Toone (Man Utd/England)
Great Britain have been drawn into a challenging group along with Canada and Japan, both of which have won medals at recent Olympics, as well as Chile.
The group games will be played from 21-27 July, with the top two in each group, plus the two best third placed teams, progressing to the quarter-finals for a straight knockout competition.
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