The rescheduled 2020 Olympics are almost upon us and Team GB have announced their squad selection. With 4 nations to pick from and a whole list of quality players it was always going to be hard narrowing the selection down to 18 players with some big names bound to miss out. I had a feeling before the team was even released that we would see mainly Lionesses players names on the announcement and that definitely happened with just 3 none England players making the cut. We have see Nobbs left out of the midfield which I can't get my head around as she is a fantastic player who deserves to be at the tournament but I guess if it was just a squad of England players she would have been on the list. Erin Cuthbert is also missing which I have to say I am disappointed with as she is an amazing player who could have provided a lot of potential to the squad and add another attacking threat. I am also surprised to see no Alex Greenwood on the squad list as I believe she had a really good season at Man City last season and with Demi Stokes been out a lot with injury I thought Greenwood would have been a safer bet. We do have a very talented squad going to the competition so lets take a look at it...

Goalkeepers 

Karen Bardsley 

Unfortunately it looks like Karen's Olympics could be over before it has even started due to an injury she has sustained whilst playing for the OL Reign. Fingers crossed it isn't as bad as it seems as I was really hoping to see Karen play in the Olympics as you would think that with recent injuries and the frequency of the tournament this could have been her last Olympic opportunity. 

Ellie Roebuck

Roebuck never fails to surprise me and she is having brilliant seasons year after year, some of the saves she makes are exceptional and she definitely deserves to be playing in the Olympics. Some of the saves she can pull off could prove to be crucial for Team GB's progression through the tournament. 

Defenders 

Millie Bright

If you have read the blog in the past you will know that I love Millie Bright as I think she is an absolutely fantastic defender. I think Millie is a big reason why Chelsea are doing so well lately and for Team GB she can be a great help as a solid defender but we all know she can provide an attacking threat too which is fantastic. 

Lucy Bronze

I think it was a given that Lucy Bronze's name was on the list given how well she has done in recent years and cemented herself as arguably the best right back in the women's game currently. We all know that she can defend brilliantly but also pick put some great crosses and provide some great attacks. She is also great at scoring great goals in competitions so who knows we might get to see another fantastic goal or 2 from her this time around. 

Rachel Daly 

I still find it funny that Daly always seems to be put on the sheets as a defender when in reality these days she is much better in an attacking role. She can provide goals when needed and we have seen that with her at the Houston Dash already this season but she is brilliant at tracking back and putting in some crucial tackles. I hope Daly gets plenty of game time and shows everyone just what she is capable just like what we see from her in the NWSL week in week out. 

Steph Houghton

Houghton is a brilliant defender who's season unfortunately ended earlier than expected due to injury. I am just glad she is now fit for the Euros as I think her experience is going to come in very handy whilst we are competing. Fingers crossed Steph can stay fit throughout the during of our time in the Olympics as she could be very useful for Team GB especially at set pieces which we know she is more than capable of scoring and creating opportunities from. 

Demi Stokes 

This is one of the choices I am surprised by as Demi didn't play much football throughout last season due to injury. I think Greenwood had a great season at left back and might have been a much safer option. Granted Demi is a fantastic player when fit but with such as small squad already I think I would have opted for a safer bet. 

Leah Williamson 

I am glad Leah has made the squad as she really is a great defender. I am really hoping Leah gets some minutes under her belt but to be honest I can see her being more of a stand in just in case of any injuries to the other members of the back line. I think we are yet to see the full potential of Williamson but I think if she gets on the pitch this tournament we are going to see some great performances from her. 

Midfielders

Sophie Ingle 

I am really glad Sophie Ingle made it into the squad as she has had yet another brilliant season and I think she can definitely add some depth to the midfield. I think that Ingle is a fantastic player and her spot in the squad is definitely one that should have been an easy choice. I am excited to see how she links up with the other players that she doesn't play with week in week out. 

Kim Little 

Just like with Ingle I am glad that they have called up Kim Little, we always knew the squad would be English heavy but I was really hoping to see Kim's name on the squad list and I was definitely impressed when it was there. Little is a fantastic player who can bring a lot of experience to the team and again I am excited to see how she links up with the other players in the squad that she doesn't usually play with. 

Jill Scott

Another player who can bring a lot of experience to the squad is Jill Scott, I was so pleased to see her name on the list as who knows if she will make it to another Olympics in 4 years due to age, game time and injuries. I think Scott's ability to both attack and defend well is going to be really beneficial for the squad and her and Little's experience if played together could be just what Team GB needs, lets just hope they do get the chance to play together. 

Keira Walsh 

Walsh is another player who can play really well in the middle of the pitch but honestly I would mainly have her on the bench or play her to give the older players a bit of a break as I think she could make a big impact from off the bench. I just think we are best of opting for a midfield with a lot of experience and playing Walsh when we need to go for a more defensive stance. 

Caroline Weir

I think it was inevitable that Weir's name was going to be on the squad list. She is just improving season upon season and I am loving seeing the player she is becoming. What I love about Weir is she can pull some absolutely sensational goals out of the bag as we have seen with her when she is in the Manchester City shirt, shes great at getting into attacking and creating attacking situations too so I am excited to see her link up with the likes of Fran Kirby as I think it could be amazing and really beneficial to Team GB. 

Forwards 

Lauren Hemp

Hemp is an exceptional player who's ability is beyond someone of her young age and I think other nations are really going to struggle when it comes to defending her and keeping her from creating some great attacking options. When I look at the list of other forwards going to the tournament though I just aren't sure how much game time she will get. Fingers crossed she gets plenty and gets to show everyone what she is capable of. 

Fran Kirby

The form that Kirby is in following illness and injury is absolutely fantastic so it is no surprise to see her name on the squad list. Her link up with Kerr at Chelsea has been brilliant so if she can link up with any of the other Team GB forwards like that throughout the competition I think we are really in for a treat. I really hope we see the Kirby we have seen in the WSL throughout the Olympics as I think she is going to be one of our standout players. 

Nikita Parris 

To be honest I wasn't sure if Parris would make the cut or not but surprisingly she did. To be honest if you go by current form I would probably have picked Ella Toone and put Parris on the reserve list but I guess for tournament experience Parris is a pretty good shout. Fingers crossed a Parris and Kirby link up works really well for us if they get some game time together. 

Georgia Stanway

 Stanway is another young player who has really proved herself over the past few seasons and only seems to be getting better with age. What I love most about Stanway is that she isn't just an attacking threat who grab herself some goals, some absolutely beautiful goals at that, but she also puts in a shift defensively. She isn't afraid to put a tackle in and can really prevent attacks from building up even at the early stages although there are quite a few decisions that go against her she is a great player to be included in the team.  

Ellen White 

Anyone who knows me personally will know that I was never really a fan of White but the past few years my opinion on her has really changed. I think Ellen's experience could be vital for the front line and we all know how capable she is of scoring goals in big tournaments so lets hope she gets plenty more this time around as I think we could do really well with White and Kirby up front with some of the youngsters getting us in dangerous positions. 

Reserves 

Niamh Charles 

Charles is another young player who has had a great season. Charles signed for Chelsea last year from Liverpool and to be honest I was skeptical about her going to a club with so many brilliant players already but she has really slotted herself into the squad and is showing her quality. I honestly think by the next tournament she will be off the reserve list and into the squad as she possesses a lot of quality and ability.  

Sandy MacIver 

It wouldn't surprise me if we actually see MacIver called up into the squad if Bardsley's proves to be enough to keep her from going to Tokyo. MacIver has put in some brilliant performances for Everton this past season and is really pushing for more England game time. I do wonder though if she would have missed out if Earps wasn't in for a minor operation this off season. MacIver is a name I think we are going to be seeing in quite a few tournaments if she carries on playing the way she does.

Ella Toone 

I am really surprised that Toone didn't make it into the squad and honestly like I said earlier I would have swapped her for Parris as Toone has had a brilliant season with Manchester United. She is constantly showing improvement and is working so hard to get United in the positions they are in. She is really starting to show her potential at the club but I really do believe there is still a lot more for us to see from her and by the time the next tournament comes around she could very easily make the squad.

Lotte Wubben - Moy 

When you look at the defense we are taking to the tournament and the names already missing from the list it does make you wonder who would have made it if we could take a bigger squad to the competition as there are a lot of names missing from all the nations that you would have expected to see but it is nice to see that young Wubben-Moy has made the cut for the reserves. Again I think that Wubben-Moy has a lot of potential and even going to the tournament as a reserve will help her out a lot and give her some tournament experience. I think Wubben-Moy is a name we will be seeing more often though especially on England team sheets. 

So there you have it that is how the Team GB women's football team is looking ready for the Tokyo Olympics. I am really looking forward to seeing how we do in this tournament as Team GB women haven't been in the women's football since 2012 so this competition is long overdue. Keep your eyes on the blog and our social media as there will be plenty more Olympics content coming up. Let's hope we can bring home a medal preferably a gold one. 

What do you think to the Team GB squad selection?