The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
But Bellamy’s in
Pearce defends Beckham’s omission
TEAM GB MANAGER Stuart Pearce is adamant he would never have taken the job if it meant being forced to select former England captain David Beckham.
Pearce unveiled his 18-man squad at Wembley yesterday afternoon and, as expected, there was no place for the Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder, though he remains on the standby list.
England Under-21s head coach Pearce insists his decisions were made purely on football grounds and is comfortable he has selected the strongest squad available in a bid to deliver gold at London 2012, with Craig Bellamy, Ryan Giggs and Micah Richards the manager’s three allocated over-age picks.
“From the offset, I was given the opportunity to manage this team as I normally would manage — I look on form, fitness, availability of players, and in that respect I deemed this was the best squad available to take this squad on. It was as simple as that,” said Pearce.
“I have got a vast amount of respect for David and what he has done for the bid process in bringing the Olympics here, David as a person and for what he has done as an international with England.
“But I have got a duty of care for everybody within the squad to pick, in my mind, the best possible squad.
“The only relevance I really have is footballing terms and have treated them all in the same manner.”
Pearce added: “I sat down with the (Football Association) chairman David Bernstein, some time before Christmas, when he offered me the opportunity to pick the squad.
“If at that stage he had said to me that certain individuals would have to be included I certainly wouldn’t do that job. I don’t know any manager worth their salt who would have.
“Right through this process I have had carte blanche to pick whatever players I deem proper.
“I do enough hours watching matches and I think I’ve done due diligence on all the players here.
“In regard to ticket sales, merchandising whatever, I am a football man and I pick solely on football ability.
“I have to back my opinion and that is what I have done.”
Team GB will kick off their campaign against Senegal at Old Trafford on July 26 and also face the United Arab Emirates at Wembley before a final group match against Uruguay in Cardiff ’s Millennium Stadium on August 1.
Only five players in Pearce’s squad are not English, all of them Welsh — meaning no representation from Scotland or Northern Ireland.
Swansea have three players named, the most of any club — Scott Sinclair, Joe Allen and Neil Taylor — while Tottenham defender Steven Caulker, who has also been included, was on loan at the Liberty Stadium last season.
Chelsea’s Daniel Sturridge was also chosen, as was arsenal’s aaron Ramsey and Manchester United Tom Cleverley.
Tottenham’s Gareth Bale would have been but has been ruled out due to injury.
“I didn’t pick on personality, I didn’t pick on ticket sales and I certainly wasn’t picking on nationality,” said Pearce, whose GB squad will play a friendly against Brazil in Middlesbrough on July 20.
Chelsea defender Ryan Bertrand was proud to have been selected for Team GB, even though it will cut across his club pre-season training.
The 22-year-old said: “I am privileged and honoured to be part of Team GB.
“All of the players are really looking forward to this, having been born and brought up in London, hopefully we will have lots of support.”