16 December 2019

Team GB football coach Phil Neville says there will be Scottish representation in Olympic squad

Great Britain's football head coach Phil Neville said he's looking at 'a lot of Scottish players' as he begins to pick his squad for the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Neville, who is also the manager of The Lionesses, said he has spoken to many Scottish players already who he may take with him next summer.

Speaking to BBC Scotland, he said: "I'm looking at a lot of the Scottish players. We played them in the World Cup and it was one of our toughest games.

"Shelley Kerr is a fantastic coach. They've got some really good players and we're going into the next six months where I've got to pick a team for the Olympics.

"You look at the way they've performed in the Champions League, their league is getting stronger and stronger, there's more investment which is really important. They're an ever-improving nation."

The last time Team GB had a football team at the Olympics was in London 2012 where only three Scots were selected - Kim Little, Ifeoma Dieke and Jane Ross, who was a reserve.

Scotland were knocked out in the group stages of the World Cup in the summer (PA Images)

To develop the Scottish game, Neville believes there now needs to be more investment in the domestic league.

The 42-year-old added: "Kim Little has probably been the shining light in the past four or five years - she's a fantastic player.

"There's also Lisa Evans, a fantastic player in Erin Cuthbert at Chelsea, Caroline Weir at Manchester City.

"There are some really good exciting young players coming through. They are now beginning to make a impact.

"The Scottish league is growing. You look at the WSL and the TV, the sponsorship money, the facilities of the big clubs in England, that has got to now spread to Scotland. It's going to take time but the aim of Scottish football is to keep the Kim Littles and Erin Cuthberts in Scotland."

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