Caroline Weir and Lauren Hemp among WSL aces included in Hege Riise’s Team GB squad

HEGE RIISE has named 11 Manchester City players in her women’s football squad representing Britain at the Tokyo Olympics.

Lauren Hemp – the side’s youngest member at 20– and Scotland’s Caroline Weir are among the City aces in the group featuring 15 England internationals.

The 18-strong squad includes 13 of the Lionesses who came third in the 2019 Women’s World Cup to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics

Riise’s group also features 13 Olympic debutants. Among their number is WSL Player of the Year Fran Kirby.

And her Chelsea team-mate Sophie Ingle is the only Wales international to have made the cut.

Others making their Olympic debuts include Fifa’s Best Women’s Player Lucy Bronze, Chelsea vice-captain Millie Bright and Arsenal centre-back Leah Williamson.

The group also features five WSL veterans who competed at London 2012 helping Britain reach the quarter-finals where they lost 1-0 to Canada.      

England’s Ellen White, Jill Scott, Karen Bardsley and Steph Houghton and Scotland’s Kim Little were among the players who made history as the first women’s football side to represent Britain at the Games.

And Ellie Roebuck and Hemp are the only two England players in the side who were not in the Lionesses squad that reached the 2019 World Cup semis.

Head coach Riise, 51, is one of just three women in the world to have won an Olympic gold medal, a World Cup and a European Championship.

And the head coach will draw on her success of winning gold with Norway at the 2000 Sydney Games in the hope of leading Britain to glory in Japan.

Riise said: “I know first-hand as a former player just how proud my players will feel today at having been selected to represent Great Britain. 

“There is no greater sporting occasion in the world, and I am honoured to lead this hugely talented team into the Games. 

“We will go there aiming to win and we will give everything we have to achieve success.

“I hope that Great Britain’s inclusion once more in the Olympic Football Tournament can inspire the next generation of young girls to play the sport we love.”

Team GB chef de mission Mark England added: “Having an opportunity to field a women’s football team in Tokyo, for only the second time in our Olympic history, is incredibly exciting.

“It is fantastic to see five returning Olympians named and I am sure they, along with the 13 debutants, will relish the opportunity to represent Team GB this summer.

“Team GB is on the cusp of making history this summer as we are on track to qualify more female than male athletes for the Games for the very first time.

“I am sure that as we saw at London 2012 the team selected today will help to inspire a new generation of girls and young women wanting to play the sport.”

Keeper Sandy MacIver, defenders Lotte Wubben-Moy and Niamh Charles and striker Ella Toone will travel to Japan as squad reserves.

And Man City’s Alex Greenwood, Arsenal’s Beth Mead and Chelsea’s Carly Telford are among the experienced England internationals who have been left out of Riise’s side.  

Other notable absentees include Jordan Nobbs and Chelsea ace Beth England who won the PFA Women’s Player of the Year Award in 2020.

Great Britain are due to play Chile in their opening Olympic Group E game followed by clashes Japan and Canada in their Olympic group matches. 

Matches are due to commence on July 21 with their first two fixtures due to take place at the Sapporo Dome.

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk