Great Britain coach Stuart Pearce has admitted some frustration over the status of Manchester City defender Micah Richards.

Pearce admitted to being slightly irked that the Manchester City defender cannot be selected as an underage player after he turned 24 last month.

Nevertheless, Pearce believes Richards will be a key figure in their campaign and plans to use him in the heart of defence rather than in a full-back role he usually occupies under Roberto Mancini.

"It's a shame with Micah Richards that he's an overage pick," said Pearce.

"He misses out on being an underage player by a few months. I see him playing at centre-back than at full-back to be honest."