An Olympic challenge ahead

WHAT does Jason Steele have in common with the three British sporting knights – Sir Chris Hoy, Sir Andy Murray and Sir Mo Farah?

The answer is that the Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper was a member of Team GB at London 2012 just like those golden stars.

Steele was in Stuart Pearce’s football squad at the London Games and relished the chance to become an Olympian.

The ‘keeper didn’t manage to play in any of Team GB’s four games, but memories of taking part in the Opening Ceremony come flooding back

And five years later, Steele insists he was better for the experience and has always tried to take inspiration from that magic summer.

“At the time, I don’t think I realised how big the Olympics were,” he says. “Then I watched Rio last summer and they made references back to London 2012.

“I thought, ‘Wow’, I was part of that. I have all the mementos like the bracelet with your athlete number on.

“I even get goosebumps thinking about it now actually. It was really, really special.

“I remember the Opening Ceremony and walking from the village to the stadium. We got a picture with Sir Chris Hoy, which was pretty special and Dame Kelly Holmes met us in the village.

“It’s something I will treasure forever. I will show the pictures to my kids when they get older and they will see I was part of something very special.

“We were only in the village for about three days but seeing the way the athletes trained and prepared their bodies was inspiring.”

Steele will aim to put into practice what he learnt from 2012 when Blackburn host Manchester United in today’s FA Cup fifth-round tie.

“This will be one of the biggest occasions I’ll have played in,” he admits. “It will be another goosebump moment for sure – just walking out and playing against Manchester United.

“We are in a no-lose situation because nobody really expects us to do anything bar ourselves. We can only go out there and try to do it.”