Team GB doesn't enter a men's team to the Olympic games - but if it did, it might look a little like this...
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The United Kingdom (or 'Team GB', as we're supposedly meant to call them, 'Team Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Channel Islands and UK Overseas Territories' apparently being too much of a mouthful) have not entered a men's team to this year's Olympics. A women's team was entered, represented in qualifying by the Lionesses, but fell agonisingly short of earning a shot at going to the finals.
The four constituent countries of the UK did not come to an agreement on the men, however. Apart from in 2012 - when London hosted the Olympics and it seemed a shame not to take part - England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have historically concerns about the precedent it might set for non-Olympic football and their continued ability to remain separate nations.
So, putting on our hypothetical hats: what would a Team GB men's team look like if they had entered (and qualified), keeping in mind that only under-23s plus three over-age players are eligible to take part in an 18-man squad with four reserves?
What would a men's Team GB football side look like at the Olympics?
Goalkeepers
James Trafford is the clear number one, while (spoilers) Conor Bradley is among our defenders (Image credit: Getty Images)
We need two here, and Burnley'sJames Trafford is the most obvious shout after being named in Gareth Southgate's preliminary squad for the Euros before being cut from the final 26.
The only other under-23 to have received a call-up by any of the Home Nations in the past year are Northern Irish pair Pierce Charles and Stephen McMullan, who have all of three league appearances between them for Sheffield Wednesday and Fleetwood Town respectively.
Saint-Etienne's English stopper Etienne Green misses the age cut-off by less than six months, and we don't particularly want to burn an over-age pick on the goalkeeper with Trafford absolutely fine for the job - so congratulations, Brighton'sCarl Rushworth, you're in after playing every game on loan at Swansea City last season.
We're allowed four additional players in reserve on top of our 18; we'll go with another Championship player, Sheffield Wednesday's James Beadle, for that.
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Defenders
Levi Colwill is an obvious choice in defence (Image credit: Getty Images)
It's tempting to use one of the over-age players here - Andy Robertson especially - but in Lewis Hall they have a very good left-back already, with Neco Williams and Connor Bradley both excellent options too. Rico Lewis is extremely unlucky to miss out, and if you argued with us we'd probably cave, so don't write in.
We're really starting to feel the pinch of the squad size here... we think we've only got three centre-backs to play with
Right, well, Levi Colwill for one - he should have gone to the Euros in our book, but let's leave that there - and Jarell Quansah and Jarrad Branthwaite are the clear choices to round off the defence.
Midfielders
Scott McTominay would be a good candidate to captain the side (Image credit: Getty Images)
If we're not playing the over-age card in defence, then we definitely have to in midfield. We're also yet to select a Scot, and want to have all four nations represented... Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay comes in, then, and probably wears the captain's armband to boot.
Adam Wharton went to the Euros but didn't play a minute for England, so he's in too. Joining those two are Liverpool'sCurtis Jones and Manchester City'sJames McAtee.
Harvey Elliott only just misses out, but is our reserve midfielder.
Wingers
Brennan Johnson would be an asset in the front line (Image credit: Getty Images)
So, so, so many options here, even if we don't use an over-age player. But we're going to anyway: Jack Grealish gets a consolation prize after being left out of the Euros squad. (Sorry, Raheem Sterling).
Brennan Johnson joins Williams in offering Welsh representation, but there's nothing tokenistic about either selection. Chelsea'sNoni Madueke gets our third and final wing slot.
We're struggling for centre-forwards, in all honesty, so we'll use the final reserve spot here to give Morgan Rogers a chance of coming in if someone got injured.
Centre-forwards
Anthony Gordon did a job at centre-forward for England under-21s (Image credit: Getty Images)
Surprisingly slim pickings. Are there no good young European centre-forwards who are eligible to play at the Olympics?
And so we turn to Anthony Gordon, who is of course usually a winger but did play centre-forward for England under-21s when they had the same issue. He played just a handful of minutes at the Euros, too, so we feel fine about taking him straight to the Olympics. Or swap his name with Johnson's, if you prefer.
Jay Stansfield is a player on the up after a standout season in the Championship even for a dreadful Birmingham City side.
Which gives us one more slot to fill, and wouldn't you know it, we still have an over-age player to choose from. Marcus Rashford gets the nod as a result.
FFT's hypothetical Team GB squad for the 2024 Olympics
Overage players in bold.
Goalkeepers: James Trafford (Burnley, England), Carl Rushworth (Brighton, England)
Full-backs: Conor Bradley (Liverpool, Northern Ireland) Lewis Hall (Newcastle, England), Neco Williams (Nottingham Forest, Wales)
Midfielders: Curtis Jones (Liverpool, England), James McAtee (Manchester City, England), Scott McTominay (Manchester United, Scotland), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace, England)
Wingers: Jack Grealish (Manchester City, England), Brennan Johnson (Tottenham, Wales), Noni Madueke (Chelsea, England)
Forwards: Anthony Gordon (Newcastle, England), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United, England),
Reserves: James Beadle (Sheffield Wednesday, England), Rico Lewis (Manchester City, England), Harvey Elliott (Liverpool, England), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa, England)
The manager
David Moyes is available, so why not? (Image credit: Getty Images)
Who's British, available for work, might be tempted by the novelty rather than seeing it as an unwanted distraction, and has proven himself in knockout competitions recently?
David Moyes was the first name to spring to mind who ticks all those boxes, and we couldn't come up with anybody better than that thereafter.
Just for the banter, though, we'll have Sam Allardyce take charge of the first game and then replace him with Moyes.
Steven Chicken has been working as a football writer since 2009, taking in stints with Football365 and the Huddersfield Examiner. Steven still covers Huddersfield Town home and away for his own publication, WeAreTerriers.com. Steven is a two-time nominee for Regional Journalist of the Year at the prestigious British Sports Journalism Awards, making the shortlist in 2020 and 2023.
