Team GB kick-off their Olympic campaign tonight with a competitive group qualifier against Senegal at Old Trafford. Manchester United's veteran winger Ryan Giggs will lead out the British football team at his own club ground, marking the first time a Great Britain's men team have played in the Olympics since 1960. Team GB coach Stuart Pearce's 18-man squad comprises of 13 English players and five Welshman with no representatives from Scotland or Northern Ireland. Giggs, who never managed to play at a major tournament with his country Wales, his fellow countryman Craig Bellamy and Manchester City defender Micah Richards make up the three over 23 players eligible for selection in the squad and are all almost certain to play tonight. Speaking ahead of tonight's game, Pearce told the press that he hopes that his side will put on a great show that could lead to Team GB playing in future Olympic tournaments.
"We've got a fantastic opportunity to sow a seed and say 'can this happen more often?' and say to the public this is a valid tournament," Pearce said.
Here's the Team GB squad or tonight's game in alphabetical order: J Allen (Swansea), C Bellamy (Liverpool), R Bertrand (Chelsea), J Butland (Birmingham), S Caulker (Tottenham), T Cleverley (Manchester United), J Cork (Southampton), C Dawson (West Brom), R Giggs (Manchester United), A Ramsey (Arsenal), M Richards (Manchester City), D Rose (Tottenham), S Sinclair (Swansea), M Sordell (Bolton), J Steele (Middlesbrough), D Sturridge (Chelsea), N Taylor (Swansea), J Tomkins (West Ham) Team GB will also play Uruguay and the United Arab Emirates in Group A with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the Quarter-finals.