Alex Greenwood, Erin Cuthbert, Jordan Nobbs: The top five names to miss out on Team GB | OneFootball

Hege Riise has named the 18 football players set to represent Team GB at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. With such a small squad, there was always going to be some star names left out.

Selected names include goalkeepers Ellie Roebuck and Karen Bardsley, and defenders Steph Houghton, Demi Stokes, Millie Bright, Leah Williamson, and Rachel Daly.

The midfield is made up of Jill Scott, Keira Walsh, Caroline Weir, Sophie Ingle and Kim Little, while the attack will be headed up by Lauren Hemp, Ellen White, Georgia Stanway, Nikita Parris, and Fran Kirby.

Four names have also been selected as reserve players – Everton goalkeeper Sandy MacIver, Arsenal defender Lotte Wubben-Moy, Chelsea midfielder Niamh Charles, and Manchester United forward Ella Toone.

A squad bursting with talent, but as a result, some big names have missed out. GiveMeSport Women runs through those who have been unlucky not to be selected.

Jordan Nobbs – Arsenal

Jordan Nobbs is one of the more perplexing omissions from the Team GB squad. The 28-year-old is one of the most talented English midfielders about, and has shown her leadership skills while captaining Arsenal on occasion this season.

Nobbs is a creative outlet, known for her ability to score goals and create chances. This season she hit the back of the net five times and racked up four assists in 16 league appearances. Perhaps her time playing as a wide forward this campaign hurt her chances of making the British squad – there is already an abundance of talent in the same position. But Nobbs can also play in the centre of the park, and it is here that Team GB will really miss her.

It is now the third major tournament Nobbs will miss. She travelled to Canada for the 2015 World Cup but missed the majority of it with a hamstring tear, and was ruled out of the 2019 World Cup in France with an ACL injury. It is hard to believe a player of such magnitude has not enjoyed the international career she deserves.

Alex Greenwood – Manchester City

Defender Alex Greenwood has enjoyed one of the best seasons of her career, but still failed to make the Team GB squad. Due to her versatility and experience, many thought she would be a shoo-in. Her absence has left fans scratching their heads.

Greenwood is able to play as both a centre-back, left-back and left wing-back. Her ability to adapt to different positions would have been a huge advantage in a squad as small as 18.

Demi Stokes is now the only player heading to Tokyo who is comfortable in a left-back position. If she is to become injured, Team GB may have a defensive crisis on their hands.

Beth Mead – Arsenal

Beth Mead joins Arsenal teammate Nobbs in missing out on a plane ticket to the Japanese capital. The 26-year-old has enjoyed a relatively successful season, scoring four times and achieving nine assists, but fell out of favour with Riise in the England set-up.

Riise, who won Olympic gold with Norway at Sydney 2000, left Mead out of the Lionesses squad in February. At the time, she claimed the forward’s player report “hasn’t been that great.”

“For me to narrow the squad, it leaves her out,” Riise continued. “If she performs every weekend then we will see." Although Mead was later selected for England, it seems she failed to persuade her boss to give her a place in the Team GB squad.

Beth England – Chelsea

The postponement of the Olympics to 2021 undeniably had a negative impact on Beth England’s selection chances. If the Games had taken place last summer, the PFA Player of the Year would have been one of the first names on the plane.

Fast forward 12 months, and England has struggled to get game time at a Chelsea side bursting at the seams with attacking talent. The 26-year-old has been pushed out of the starting eleven by Fran Kirby, Sam Kerr and Pernille Harder.

Despite this, England still managed to score six goals and rack up nine assists. This display suggests she could still have made an impact for Team GB at the Olympics, and it would have been useful to give the young talent competitive experience before the European Championships next summer.

Erin Cuthbert – Chelsea

Erin Cuthbert is another victim of the incredible squad depth at Chelsea. The attacking wide player has not been a regular starter for the Blues, but has still set up six goals and scored two herself.

Unlike many of her English counterparts, Scotland’s Cuthbert has not had the chance to impress Riise as part of the national set-up. This may have been to the 22-year-old’s detriment. It is hard to work out why else the dynamic and exciting player would have been left out of Team GB.