Is Ryan Giggs the right choice of captain for team GB?

Team GB boss Stuart Pearce has chosen Ryan Giggs to be captain at the 2012 Olympics.

The 38 year-old is in the squad as one of the three over-aged players in the 18 man squad.

The Olympics will be the first ever competitive international tournament that the Welshman has been involved in.

Confirmation

A statement on the football association website read: “ Stuart Pearce has today (Sunday) confirmed that Manchester United midfielder Ryan Giggs will be captain of the Team GB Men’s football squad at London 2012,”

“Giggs, a winner of 12 Premier League titles, five FA Cups and two UEFA Champions League competitions, will be competing at his first international tournament.

“Giggs is one of the three ‘over age’ players permitted under the Olympic football tournament rules, alongside fellow Welshman Craig Bellamy and Manchester City and England defender Micah Richards”

Glittering

Ryan Giggs is one of the most decorated players in the history of the British game. He has won everything you can win at club level. However as Wales have not qualified for a major championship during his time as a player he hasn’t had the chance to compete at an international tournament.

He has achieved a lot in the game and maybe this is his reward for the time and effort he has put into his football career, which has spanned more than two decades.

Alternatives

Pearce didn’t really have a large group of players to chose from when it came to captaincy. It was always going to be one of the over-aged players. The other over-aged players being Craig Bellamy and Micah Richards.

Bellamy would have been another obvious choice for captain. The Liverpool striker took over as captain of the Welsh international team, after Ryan Giggs retired from international football. The 32 year-old captained his national side for four years.

Bellamy would probably have been the next logical choice. He may be temperamental but he is a leader on the pitch. He leads by example on the pitch and tells his teammates exactly what he thinks.

Richards was surprisingly left out of the England squad for Euro 2012, despite having a stellar season with Premier League champions Manchester City. Richards as the third oldest player in the squad would surely have been in contention but the two veterans were always more likely candidates.

Problems

Ryan Giggs had been a model professional within the game but has suffered problems off the pitch with a series of personal problems in the past few years. However he now seems to be over his problems and I would say he is the logical choice of captain for team GB.

History

This is the first time in half a century a football team from Great Britain has taken part in the Olympic games. There was much discussion about whether Great Britain should even participate at the games in football.

However with it being on home soil I don’t see why we shouldn’t. I think it should now become a regular occurrence. It’s good for the young players to get experience of participating at an international tournament.

It won’t just benefit English football but also Welsh football. It’s a shame that Scotland and Northern Ireland were reluctant to get involved but that was their choice.

Respect

I think Ryan Giggs is probably the best choice for captain of team GB. The players that play with him will respect him for all he has achieved in the game and look to the veteran for support because of his experience.

His experience at the highest level will only help the younger players in the squad and hopefully that will help them become better players in the future.

Is Ryan Giggs the best choice of captain for team GB at the Olympics?