THIS SUMMER will be 13 years since the historic London Olympics, so we have taken a look back at some of the last Team GB football team to be sent to a Games and where they are now.
Jack Butland
Being the only teenager in the squad after establishing himself at Stoke City, Butland made a name for himself and was even being touted as England’s next number one ahead of the 2014 World Cup. 13 years on, after not matching his potential due to injuries, Butland is up in Scotland at Rangers having just won the Old Firm again Celtic 3-2 at the weekend.
Neil Taylor
A Welsh international, the fullback had been a key player for Swansea City in the Premier League at the time, being one of their most consistent players during their time in the topflight. Since then, he has featured for Aston Villa and Middlesbrough where he retired to take up coaching, now finding himself assistant manager at Wales U21s.
Ryan Bertrand
The Southampton starlet was at the top of his game around this period and had been linked with a move to many of the Big Six sides. Post-Olympics he made the England 2016 Euro squad, however he did not make himself a consistent name on the squad list, finally leaving Saints in 2021 to move to Leicester City where he then retired.
Steven Caulker
A defender who was once touted as one of England’s finest defensive talents, the centre back never lived up to the hype with failed loan spells at Saints and Liverpool. Since 2012, he has had 12 different clubs and now features for Ankara Keçiörengücü, a second divison Turkish side.
Tom Cleverley
Having joined Manchester United at the age of 12, the midfielder featured at the Olympics while he was still a Red Devil. He then left the club in 2015 and after several spells at different English clubs, he settled at Watford where he made 137 appearances and is now their 1st Team Manager, the first to last an entire year since Javi Gracia in 2019.
Marvin Sordell
The striker joined Bolton in 2012 for £3 million, but after the Olympics he turned out for a number of outfits including Burton Albion where he then retired. He now is well-known for mental health campaigning as well as having his own production company, ONEIGHTY.
Scott Sinclair
Making four appearances at the 2012 Games, the winger is another name in this squad that never quite made it ‘big-time’, with a move to Manchester City from Swansea being a false dawn. He proceeded to then leave on loan and eventually permanently, with the 35 year-old playing for Bristol Rovers at the moment.
Other names that featured in the squad led by Stuart Pearce included, Craig Dawson (now at West Ham, Ryan Giggs (maybe not worth touching on), Micah Richards (a popular pundit), and Daniel Sturridge (a slightly less popular pundit).
The team didn’t end up winning the gold medal in London, being knocked out in the quarter-final to South Korea on penalties, with a score of 4-5 as Sturridge missed from the spot. A Team GB side has never been sent again to an Olympic Games but will 2028 change that?
