The Chelsea trialist leading GB's Olympic hopes

A third appearance at an Olympic Games and the opportunity to captain Great Britain at Paris 2024 offers more than a little consolation for David Ames missing out on a potential career as a professional footballer with Chelsea.

Born in South Africa but brought up in Northern Ireland, Ames is preparing to skipper GB this summer after previously being part of the GB squad in Rio in 2016 and subsequently the side that finished fifth at the Tokyo Olympics.

It could all have been so different for the 35-year-old, however, after he went on trials with Chelsea and Preston North End.

"I was a very keen footballer, and swimmer, when I was growing up. I swam nationally, played a lot of football, and that’s pretty much all I wanted to do from a very young age," recalls Ames.

“I had a number of trials and scholarships at Chelsea and then Preston North End, but unfortunately didn’t quite make it.

"They said I was too small, lacked pace, lacked any agility."

Ames recovered from that early sporting setback to go on to enjoy a fulfilling club and international career, initially representing Ireland and then switching his allegiance to GB.

"I decided that hockey was the route I wanted to go down, based on a number of mates from my old club and school as well, who pushed me that way.

"Thankfully it has paved the way for my life to be pretty much non-stop hockey for the last 17 or 18 years. I’m very thankful for those guys for putting me in this position. I’m lucky enough to be doing what I’m doing.

"It gave me a new career, a new path to go down, and thankfully this one has worked out."

Having also helped England to a fourth-placed finish at the 2018 World Cup, Ames will enjoy another career highlight in France where GB are medal contenders.

He is quick to pay tribute to the amazing support he has received from his mother Carol.

"Mum has been there every step of the way. She was a single parent who raised two kids. It's pretty emotional.

"In my early days driving me to Dublin. Six in the morning to be there for nine, constantly, every weekend. There aren’t too many countries she hasn’t ticked off. She has been to pretty much every event.

“The path that I’ve chosen has pretty much been from her and I try to do the best I can in terms of my hockey and my life so it looks the best for her and hopefully I continue to do her proud.

"To be able to finish as a captain of Great Britain at the Olympic Games would be a nice way for me to finish, and for her.”