Selecting the Team GB Men's Football Squad for the 2024 Olympics

The Great Britain & Northern Ireland team are aiming to be near the top of the medal table at this summer's Olympics in Paris, targeting between 50 and 70 medals from their 327 athletes.

But among that number are no footballers. The women's team, whose Olympics qualification rests on England's performances, agonisingly failed to make the cut, while the men don't enter at all.

Team GB's men used to dominate Olympic football when it was strictly an amateur competition, taking gold in 1900, 1908 and 1912 – three wins remains a joint all-time record on the men's side. But while the post-Second World War era gave rise to Eastern Europe, where top players were state-sponsored and therefore able to retain amateur status, Britain struggled to be competitive and later stopped entering altogether by 1972, having failed to qualify since 1960.

Olympics football underwent changes in the 1980s when professional players were admitted, but a compromise with FIFA was eventually reached in 1992 when it was decided that players should be under 23 years of age – three older players were allowed from 1996 onwards. Nations from Africa and Latin America have become the more dominant forces since then.

But Team GB haven't returned, save for once as a special cameo as hosts in 2012. Much of that is to do with politics, with the four Home Nations – England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – seemingly concerned about their separate FIFA memberships potentially being questioned in future. After 2012, the decision was made not to enter a men's team again, although women would continue.

A hypothetical British team, which would have the pick of four player pools, could be among the favourites to a get a medal. Anyone born on or since 1 January 2001 can be chosen for this summer, with a maximum of three players over that age bracket permitted too.

Taking into account that England and Scotland have both already played at Euro 2024 this summer, which would rule out the likes of Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Kobbie Mainoo being selected – even though they are age eligible – here is a realistic Team GB XI for the 2024 Olympics...

James Trafford made the jump from League One to the Premier League in 2023 and made 28 appearances in the top flight for Burnley last season.

His inclusion in England's provisional squad for Euro 2024 perhaps was more an indication of the lack of goalkeeper options considering he finished the 2023/24 campaign on Burnley's bench, but Trafford is still the best young British stopper around.

The emergence of Conor Bradley last season was a lifeline for Liverpool and provided timely specialised injury cover for Trent Alexander-Arnold. It might have been more than 11 Premier League appearances but for his start to the campaign being delayed by a back injury, while the Reds only lost three of the 23 games he played in across all competitions.

Although England is the dominant nation, a team representing Great Britain needs to have players from further afield and Bradley brings Northern Ireland to the table.

Everton fans have seen Jarrad Branthwaite flourish in the past 12 months, to the point where Manchester United have made multiple offers for the 22-year-old as part of their rebuild.

A first senior England call-up came in March, while the Cumbria-born centre-back made his Three Lions debut in June after being included in the preliminary group for Euro 2024. He already seems like a solid bet to make the squad for the next World Cup in two years' time.

Liverpool ultimately didn't have to dip into the transfer market for a centre-back last summer after Jarell Quansah came out of virtually nowhere to make 33 appearances across the season, often partnering Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the defence.

He was never expected to go to Euro 2024 even after being selected for the provisional squad, but it highlighted that the 21-year-old had suitably impressed to be on the FA's radar in the first place.

A treble winner at 18 and a two-time Premier League champion by 19, Rico Lewis isn't naturally a left-back but is versatile enough that he has played there - and pretty much everywhere else - for Manchester City at this stage of his fledgling career.

Lewis played 90 minutes of senior international football for England a week before his 19th birthday and is very highly rated by Pep Guardiola.

This past season was a career best for Harvey Elliott, making 53 appearances for Liverpool across all competitions. For someone who only turned 21 in April, it's easy to forget that he has been playing senior football since the age of 15 because he's been around for so long.

Elliott offers midfield bite and guile in equal measures, which are vital qualities to have in tournament football when games can be decided on such small margins.