Above: Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses after this month’s 0-0 draw against Sweden. Photo: @Lionesses
Stu Barker, Hannah Chadwick, Freya Ward, Aimee Reynolds, and Ava-Marianne Elliott team up to select a Great Britain team to compete at the Olympic Games (26/7/24).
As the Olympic flame burns brightly in Paris, Team GB go into the Games without a women’s football team. Our team of writers were starting to wonder what the squad might look like if they were representing in Paris, so we thought we’d have a bit of fun and suggest the squad that we’d select if in charge.
After complicated terms were agreed between the relevant organisations, England, the top-ranked nation, was chosen to represent Great Britain.
In Europe, The Nations League acts as a qualifying competition for the Olympics. To qualify, England needed to finish top of their group, including Netherlands, Belgium, and Scotland. Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses finished with twelve points, the same as the Netherlands. However, the Oranje Leeuwinnen took the top spot with a superior goal difference of one goal.
Goalkeepers
- Mary Earps (Paris St Germain)
- Hannah Hampton (Chelsea)
This selection was straightforward, with Earps and Hampton being standout options.
Most recently, Hampton has been preferred by Sarina Wiegman in the Nations League matches, securing victories against the Republic of Ireland and Sweden.
Earps would likely start, given her big-game experience, ball-handling skills, and shot-stopping ability.
Defenders
- Leah Williamson (captain) (Arsenal)
- Lucy Bronze (Chelsea)
- Jess Carter (Chelsea)
- Niamh Charles (Chelsea)
- Millie Bright (Chelsea)
- Alex Greenwood (Manchester City)
Despite the desire to represent all home nations, England’s defence boasts world-class talent. Williamson’s leadership and Bright’s solidity form a formidable central pairing, with Greenwood and Bronze protecting the flanks.
As one of the most experienced and versatile members of the current England Senior Squad, Alex Greenwood’s addition to the backline would inevitably give Sarina Wiegman’s squad an edge.
Greenwood is a technically gifted player and sensational defender, the assets she brings to the table such as her phenomenal progressive passes and wealth of experience are a must if she is available for selection heading into a major tournament.
It is arguable that she doesn’t get the credit she deserves in comparison to her colleagues in the back line.
Midfielders
- Keira Walsh (Barcelona)
- Erin Cuthbert (vice-captain) (Chelsea)
- Angharad James (Seattle Reign)
- Beth Mead (Arsenal)
- Fran Kirby (Brighton & Hove Albion)
- Ella Toone (Manchester United)
- Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich)
- Lauren James (Chelsea)
- Lauren Hemp (Manchester City)
This group of players is perhaps only rivalled by Spain in terms of quality and depth. Selecting a starting group of players is not an easy task, nor was selecting this group of players. There are a number who could be argued are worth a place in this team.
A central midfield pairing of Walsh and Cuthbert would be sensational. The vision and tenacity of the pair make them a formidable combination. Both are comfortable with winning the ball and finding the killer pass for their forwards to convert.
There are many combinations for attacking midfield but if forced to come off the fence, we would go for the trio of Toone, James, and Hemp.
Forwards
- Alessia Russo (Arsenal)
- Martha Thomas (Tottenham Hotspur)
Russo and Thomas would both hope to be heir to Ellen White who is the current top scorer for Team GB with six goals, all of which came in Tokyo.
Russo would of course take the number nine shirt, but Thomas would be good value if the team were chasing a goal in the latter stages of the match. Some fans questioned the Scotland international’s credentials when she moved from West Ham United to Manchester United, but given her minutes on the pitch and that she was often shifted to the right her three goals in thirty-eight matches were not a fair reflection of her ability.
Though it’s disappointing not to see Team GB in Paris, we hope for their return in Los Angeles 2028. Imagine facing the host nation in the final, with Emma Hayes leading the United States, it would capture the attention of the entire country.
At Impetus we have completed a thorough preview of each nation hoping to take home the gold medal in the women’s football competition which is available here.
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