SOCCER MUNDIAL NETWORK: LONDON 2012: Ryan gIGGS's boys off to a flyer as Team GB stars begin training in Spain ahead of Olympics

Monday, July 9, 2012

LONDON 2012: Ryan gIGGS's boys off to a flyer as Team GB stars begin training in Spain ahead of Olympics

9 July 2012

Team GB arrived in Spain on Monday as their quest for Olympic glory got underway with Stuart Pearce’s squad checking in at La Cala, near Malaga.
Former Wales captain Ryan Giggs and Co had a light training session at Champneys Spa in Leicestershire before flying out.
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United front: Team GB captain Ryan Giggs and Tom Cleverley will play important roles

They will spend a week training in Spain before returning to the Olympic Village on Monday ahead of their friendly against a star-studded Brazil side, including Neymar, Pato and Hulk, at Middlesbrough on Friday week.

Squads: The players and their coaches

Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley is likely to play a key role for Pearce’s side. After a promising start to last season that saw him on the brink of an England debut, Cleverley missed the majority of the campaign due to injury.
Now the 22-year-old insists he is over his injuries, saying: ‘I had a good start but got a couple of injuries so the Olympics is a good way to bounce back. It was frustrating particularly with the England call-up. It was like everything was against me at one point. But that’s behind me now and I’m fully fit.’

Hoof: James Tomkins (right) fires the ball skywards

Daniel Sturridge, who is being treated for meningitis, was the only absentee as Pearce got his first look at the remaining 17 players at his disposal.
Pearce's men face Senegal, UAE and Uruguay in the competition proper while Hope Powell's women will face New Zealand, Cameroon and Brazil.