World Football: Which Names Make the 2012 British Olympic Football Team?
In summer 2012 the Olympic games come to London.
Aside from making Britain the epicentre of global sport for four weeks, the event will also put paid to one of the most common hypothetical sporting debates in the country—if you had to create a football team based on the home nations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which players would make the cut?
Tournament rules dictate that the side must be comprised of players aged under 23, with three places given to over-aged "wildcards."
With sporting greatness beckoning, which players are likely to line up for for Britain's Olympic hopefuls?
Goalkeeper: Joe Hart
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With only three spaces for older players, the main risk in selecting Joe Hart is that one vital wildcard is used prematurely, leaving weaknesses in outfield positions. That said, a reliable presence between the posts breeds confidence and assurance throughout the side, making this selection absolutely vital.
There is a genuine lack of talented young goalkeepers in Britain, meaning the battle for the number one spot would come down to a straight choice between either England's Hart or Scotland's Allan McGregor. McGregor has wrestled the goalkeeper's jersey from the talented but erratic Craig Gordon and is an ever-present for Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers.
Although his disciplinary record was tarnished by a late night drinking episode while on international duty in 2009, the subsequent ban has been overturned and he is now rightly regarded as one of the best 'keepers in Britain.
Manchester City's Joe Hart has rose above the likes of Rob Green, Scott Carson and Paul Robinson to become England's undoubted first choice keeper. Though he is yet to fully replicate his fantastic club form at international level, he is widely regarded as the nation's long-term solution between the sticks.
Like all goalkeepers, Hart is prone to inexplicable individual errors, although he is generally consistent, distributes well, commands his area and is an excellent shot-stopper. Most importantly he seems mentally strong, which suggests he is the type of character who would thrive on the pressure of the Olympic games.
For this reason, Hart is the outstanding choice for the position.
Left Back: Keiran Gibbs
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A problem position. There are very few outstanding candidates at left-back, so the choice comes down to one of two novice candidates—either Arsenal's English starlet Keiran Gibbs or Liverpool's promising Scottish defender Danny Wilson.
Both players are under 23, meaning both should make the squad, and the decision about who plays may come down to which one has the best season at club level. Wilson is highly-regarded within the Scotland set-up, with some commentators even comparing him to the great Alan Hansen.
However, his appearances have been limited since joining Liverpool and he is generally seen as being more comfortable in the centre of the back four.
Gibbs is the more experienced of the two, having deputised for Gael Clichy on numerous occasions, including the rarefied heights of a Champions League semi-final. Injuries have slowed his development over the past 18 months but, when available, he is quick, composed, supplements the attack well and is rightly regarded as one of England's best defensive prospects.
If he can recover his fitness and form during 2011/12 then he is a strong candidate for the left-back slot.
Right Back: Martin Kelly
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Another hugely contentious position that could be decided by form over the coming season. Micah Richards misses the cut by a matter of weeks, meaning the position basically amounts to a straight choice between Liverpool's Martin Kelly and Tottenham Hotspur's Kyle Walker.
Walker initially struggled to cement a place at Spurs but excelled during a loan spell with Aston Villa between January and May and carried his form into the recent Euro U-21 tournament. A lean, athletic full back, Walker's attacking forays have even drawn comparisons with the majestic Roberto Carlos. Hyperbole aside, if Walker can balance his attacking intent with defensive nous, this could be his breakthrough season.
The only reason why Martin Kelly gets the nod over Walker is that he has already had his breakthrough season. One of the rare highlights of Roy Hodgson's underwhelming reign, Kelly has shown enormous promise and maturity since making his Anfield debut.
While many of his more revered team-mates struggled, Kelly seemed to grow in stature as the season wore on. Kenny Dalglish has made the youngster a permanent fixture in his back four and he seems destined to become a major player at Anfield. Solid, versatile, composed and willing to provide width, Kelly looks like a potential full international.
Centre Backs: Chris Smalling and Phil Jones
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One of the few positives to come from England's dismal failure to perform at the recent European U-21 tournament, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling's blossoming partnership at centre-back has already drawn favourable comparisons with that of stalwarts John Terry and Rio Ferdinand.
Smalling's meteoric rise up the footballing ladder has seen him go from non-league minnows Maidstone to the mighty Manchester United (via Fulham) in just three years.
Initially, Smalling was only expected to provide back up for the likes of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic but the former's injury absences meant that Smalling was quickly thrust into the side, where he proved to be a classy, mature defender in his own right. By the close of the season he had completely overshadowed the promising Johnny Evans and established himself as one of Britain's best young players.
Phil Jones progression from Blackburn Rovers academy prospect to "future England captain" has been no less remarkable. Jones only made his full Rovers debut in March 2010, where he shackled the great Didier Drogba and performed impeccably in a dominant display.
During 2010/11 Jones soon became a Rovers regular, culminating in a standout performance against champions United, where he again displayed his love of the big occasion by keeping an in-form Wayne Rooney quiet for 90 minutes. Suitably impressed, Sir Alex Ferguson signed the talented young defender less than six weeks later, for a reputed €20 million.
Competition for defensive places is so fierce that the duo may not get many opportunities to cement their partnership at Old Trafford. Judging by their performances during the recent U-21 tournament, this shouldn't matter—the promising pair seem destined for greatness.
Right Wing: Theo Walcott
5 of 8Exciting, infuriating, cavalier, promising, wasteful—the mercurial Theo Walcott has enjoyed or suffered all of these adjectives during his brief football career.
On form, his breathtaking pace and ability make him capable of devastating wing play (see his brilliant hat-trick against a decent Croatia side in 2008). On a bad day he can flirt dangerously with ineptitude.
Nobody, including his staunchly supportive club manager Arsene Wenger, seems to know which Walcott to expect, making him a risky choice. However, that blistering acceleration, those quick feet, the occasional finishing prowess—and a lack of credible alternative on the right flank—ensure he makes the cut.
Ultimately, If he started the competition well, scored or created a goal, and quickly built up his apparently fragile self-belief, he could prove to be one of the stars of tournament. Or one of the most abject flops. That's the risk you take with Theo Walcott.
Left Wing: Gareth Bale
6 of 8The Welsh wonder is one of Britain's hottest talents, and the outstanding contender for the left sided position.
A dynamic, frequently devastating talent, Bale terrorised some of football's best right-backs during Tottenham Hotspurs' 2010/11 Champions League run. Until playing against Bale, Inter Milan's Maicon was generally regarded as one of Europe's finest full-backs, the archetypal Brazilian defender and an experienced, classy operator.
After 180 torrid minutes against the Spurs ace he is now known as "The man Gareth Bale humiliated." Twice.
Though not blessed with excessive skill, Bale does possess enough sheer speed to outpace almost any defender. As a converted left-back, he also possesses decent positional sense and a sweet left foot.
Ironically, while successive English managers have searched desperately for a solution to the perennial lack of a decent left-footed, English attacker, Wales have had two of the very best in Bale and his legendary predecessor Ryan Giggs. As long as Bale stays fit, the British team's manager will be spared this particular dilemma.
Central Midfield: Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey
7 of 8Quite simply, the best two young midfielders in the English Premier League. Ramsey's progress was temporarily derailed by his horror-injury at Stoke, but he finished 2010/11 strongly and looks set to fulfil his huge potential.
A natural box-to-box midfielder, he possesses an assurance beyond his years, reads the game well, distributes accurately and is capable of making telling incursions into the opposition's final third.
Jack Wilshere has made enormous strides since his 2009/10 loan spell with Bolton Wanderers. Firstly he cemented his place in the heart of the Arsenal first team, then he became a permanent fixture in Fabio Capello's England team.
Wilshere is an outstanding footballer who seems to relish the big occasion. At only 19 years of age he twice excelled against Barcelona's brilliant double act of Xavi and Iniesta, showing fierce determination, maturity, strength and vision.
Arsene Wenger will almost certainly expect the pair to work in tandem over the coming season, with Ramsey curtailing his natural attacking tendencies so that the younger Wilshere can flourish in a more advanced role. If the pairing works, which it should, the cultured duo will provide the axis on which the British team will operate.
Centre Forwards: Wayne Rooney and Andy Carroll
8 of 8While debates rage about his follicular activities, surely there is no genuine resistance to Wayne Rooney's selection as the head of the Britain 2012 football team? The complete centre forward, Rooney is quite simply Britain's most prominent, gifted footballer.
Powerful, quick, skilful, and blessed with vision and a thunderous finish, Rooney is one of global football's elite performers. In layman's terms, if he performs to his expected standard, Britain should be guaranteed a place in the last four. Much will depend on his ability to exorcise the lingering doubts raised by his sub-standard showing at the 2010 World Cup.
Liverpool's Andy Carroll is a battering-ram of a centre-forward, a colossal influence in the air and the owner of a lethal left foot. Although not one of Britain's more sophisticated exponents of the beautiful game, he has the presence and sheer bravado to unsettle any defence. His goal to game ratio is impressive and his selfless exploitation of gaps in the opposition back four would liberate the brilliant Rooney.
In Carroll's absence, Manchester United's Danny Welbeck has shown signs of maturing into a quality performer. Alternatively, Chelsea livewire Danny Sturridge has shown flashes of inspiration during England's otherwise-maligned showing at the U-21 European Championships.
