Alex Danson
DOB: 21/5/1985 Event: Hockey Position: Forward Flag: GBR
Last Updated: 01/11/11 10:16am
Lively forward Alex Danson made her debut for England in October 2001 against Germany and will play in her second Olympics in London.
The Reading forward was one of the youngest ever full internationals as she stepped onto the pitch as a 16-year-old, and that early experience means that she has plenty of experience at a young age.
Having long passed the 100-mark for England caps and approaching 50 for Great Britain, Danson will be closing in on 50 international goals come London and also hoping to become one of the stars of the tournament.
Danson made her Olympic debut in Beijing but Great Britain just missed out on qualification for the semi-finals having finished third in their pool in Beijing.
Danson already has a few medals in the trophy cabinet, with one Champions Challenge bronze, one World Cup bronze, and two Commonwealth Games bronzes in her collection.
England's improved form of late showed itself as With Danson and co stepping up a gear and picking up a bronze medal in the 2011 Champions Trophy in Nottingham, having previously won just a point in the same competition 12 months earlier.
Danson is classed as a forward, but is an all-action presence in the middle of the field and puts in a lot of running similar to what would be class as a 'box to box' midfield general in football.
A season spent playing in Holland, a traditional hockey powerhouse, seemed to sharpen her game up and now in full-time training at Bisham Abbey has also seemed to take her game up a notch.
Danson is also an ambassador for Sky Sports' 'Living For Sport' program which encourages children's participation in sport, something she has a passion for.
Danson hopes to become a PE teacher one day, but she still has plenty of time left as a player and seems to be getting better and better just in time for 2012.
