Karen Bardsley a surprise inclusion as Riise names Tokyo team
Team Great Britain manager Hege Riise has named her 18-player team for the Tokyo Olympics, with goalkeeper Karen Bardsley a surprise addition.
The team which is made up of players from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland – includes five former Olympians.
England captain Steph Houghton, Jill Scott, Ellen White, Bardsley and Kim Little all competed at London 2012 where Team GB exited in the quarterfinals.
As was expected, players from England make up with majority of the team with Scotland’s Kim Little and Caroline Weir and Wales’ Sophie Ingle the only players who don’t represent the Lionesses.
There are no players from Northern Ireland in the squad despite them qualifying for their first major championship this year.
Former England and Manchester City No. 1 Bardsley has only made one appearance since the 2019 World Cup. In that game against Canada in April, she was at fault for one of the goals scored by the visitors.
Other notable inclusions are Women’s Super League player of the year Fran Kirby. City is heavily represented with 11 players.
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“I know first-hand as a former player just how proud my players will feel today at having been selected to represent Great Britain,” Riise, who won Olympic gold with Norway in 2000, said in a statement.
Britain have been drawn in Group E and will face Chile in the opening game on July 21, followed by hosts Japan three days later and Canada on July 27.