Caroline Weir has described Andy Murray as a “great mentor” as she gets set to emulate her fellow Scot in competing at the Olympics.
The midfielder last year signed up with the 77 Sports Management agency co-founded by three-time grand slam winner and two-time Olympic champion Murray.
She is one of two Scottish players included in Hege Riise’s 18-strong Great Britain squad for this summer’s Tokyo Games, announced on Thursday.
Excited for what’s to come… pic.twitter.com/U0FyZyMKa3— Caroline Weir (@itscarolineweir) March 18, 2020
Weir told a press conference: “Andy has been great. He’s been a great mentor to me over the last 12 months.
“Any kind of questions or advice I need from him, whether that’s performance, psychological, whatever it might be, he’s at the end of the phone and he’s been really helpful.
“I’m sure I’ll be asking him a little bit about his Olympic experiences going forward. He’s been great and really positive.”
The 25-year-old has made the squad for the Games after producing some sparkling form in 2020-21 for FA Cup winners and Women’s Super League runners-up Manchester City.
A memorable effort against Manchester United in February was among eight WSL goals she scored across the campaign.
“I think it’s probably been my most impactful season in terms of contributing to the team in assists and goals and things like that,” Weir said.
“It’s good coming off the back of that kind of season into this kind of summer where it’s going to be intense.”
Regarding her selection, Weir said: “To put on a GB kit is something I probably never thought would happen or dreamed of, just because I wanted to play in World Cups and things like that, but you just don’t necessarily think Olympics.
WOW what a day! The Olympics and being part of @TeamGB is beyond anything I ever dreamt of.— Caroline Weir (@itscarolineweir) May 27, 2021
“I’m a really proud Scot, a really proud Brit, and to be involved in this squad is a huge honour.”
The other Scot included is Arsenal’s Kim Little, who played for GB at the London 2012 Olympics, while the only other non-English player in the squad is Chelsea’s Sophie Ingle, the Wales captain.
Asked how much she thought the Scottish public would fall in love with the GB team and if she felt that, with her and Little having been selected, they would be really getting behind the side, Weir said: “I hope so.
“The fact that there are Scots and Sophie Ingle is in the squad, hopefully that will unite the home nations, and everyone can get behind us because it’s a strong squad and we really want to go out to Tokyo and do a good job, and hopefully bring something back.”
She added: “I think we’ve got to go for gold. Of course, we know there’s challenges ahead of us and it’s going to be a tough tournament and there’s loads of things we’re going to have to contest with, but the squad is talented.”
Weir and Little endured disappointment with Scotland during the season as the team failed to qualify for the European Championship being held in England in 2022.
And Weir said: “I think it’s definitely fair to say the fact I’m going to an Olympic Games this summer probably makes next summer and the fact I’m not going to the Euros a little bit easier.
“The disappointment with Scotland was a tough one to take and it did take a little bit to get over.
“But at the same time, we have a World Cup qualifying campaign. We’ll have a camp in June and our focus will turn to that.
“It was disappointing at the time but I think in football you’ve got to move on quickly and I think we’ve all done that now.”
