• 'In regard to ticket sales or merchandising … I'm a football man'
• It's been difficult, says Pearce, who has left out McEachran
Team GB men's coach Stuart Pearce has defended his decision to leave David Beckham out of the 18-man men's football squad for this summer's Olympics. "When I was given the opportunity to manage this team I looked on form, fitness, availability. In that respect I deemed this was the best squad available to take this tournament on. I've got a vast amount of respect for David and what he has done in bringing the Olympics to these shores," said Pearce.
But he added: "I have to be comfortable that I've made decisions on footballing grounds alone. Not on personality, or who I like as individuals. This is the strongest squad that's available to me to select."
Pearce said he had watched Beckham three times live this season, and every other match he had played for LA Galaxy on DVD. "In regard to ticket sales or merchandising or whatever, I'm a football man. I have to back my opinion. I feel very sorry for David, I know how much it meant to him. I do understand that," he said.
Pearce unveiled an 18-player squad that contains five Welshmen, but no Northern Irish or Scottish players. The England Under-21 manager said that he had not even considered the nationality of the players: "There are no nationalities in my eyes, these are all Olympians now."
Confirming that Beckham and the injured Gareth Bale had missed out, Pearce said that finalising list of 18 had "not been an easy task". Ryan Giggs, Craig Bellamy and Micah Richards take the three overage slots, with the other 15 players aged 23 or under.
Of the 18-strong squad, 15 play in the Premier League, although few of the younger players are regular starters for their clubs.
Manchester United's Tom Cleverley, Chelsea left-back Ryan Bertrand, Swansea midfielder Joe Allen and Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey are among those who have made the cut. There are three Swansea players in the squad although Chelsea's Josh McEachran, who spent part of last season on loan at the club, has missed out.
Scott Sinclair, whose brother Martin will play in the Paralympic football tournament, has also made the squad.
The creation of the Team GB squad has been hugely contentious, with the Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Football Associations vehemently against supplying players for fear it would damage their independence in the eyes of Fifa.
"It has not been an easy task to finalise my squad for this tournament, and the stature of the competition and uniqueness of the occasion has underlined the importance of every choice I have made," said Pearce.
He admitted that it would "challenging" to bring the untested squad together in short order. They will gather next Saturday, before playing a friendly against Mexico behind closed doors and then facing Brazil at the Riverside on 20 July.
The Great Britain men's football squad for the London 2012 Olympics:
Jack Butland (Birmingham), Jason Steele (Middlesbrough); Ryan Bertrand (Chelsea), Steven Caulker (Tottenham), Craig Dawson (West Brom), Micah Richards (Manchester City), Neil Taylor (Swansea), James Tomkins (West Ham); Joe Allen (Swansea), Tom Cleverley (Manchester United), Jack Cork (Southampton), Ryan Giggs (Manchester United), Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal), Danny Rose (Tottenham), Scott Sinclair (Swansea); Craig Bellamy (Liverpool), Marvin Sordell (Bolton), Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea). Read More
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