London 2012 Olympics: Gareth Bale pulls out of Stuart Pearce's Great Britain squad with injury Bale signed a new four-year contract with Tottenham earlier this week, and news of his injury will be a concern for the incoming manager, expected to be confirmed as Andre Villas Boas early next week. Bale's injury is a major blow to the profile of the Olympic football tournament as well as Team GB's prospects, and comes 24 hours after David Beckham was informed that he had been dropped from the squad by Pearce. Along with Beckham, the Welshman was expected to be the major draw of the Olympic tournament, appealing to supporters in the principality and home nations uneasy at a squad that is understood to feature no Scottish or Northern Irish players. It will contain at least three Welshmen, with Bale's compatriot Aaron Ramsey selected alongside over-age players Ryan Giggs and Craig Bellamy. Manchester United's Tom Cleverly, City's Micah Richards and Chelsea duo Daniel Sturridge and Ryan Bertrand, the latter as a replacement for Bale, are also expected to be in. Like Beckham, Bale has been an enthusiastic supporter of the Olympic football tournament despite significant opposition from his home union, the Football Association of Wales. Bale made his support for the event clear a year ago, appearing in a promotional campaign for it, and was photographed in the Team GB supporters shirt. More important than his ability to help raise interest in the tournament, his dynamism and goal-scoring potential was key to Team GB's prospects of making an impression on the tournament. Bale is the second Tottenham player to drop out of contention for the squad, with England's Kyle Walker also unavailable as he recuperates from an injury picked up in the final week of the season.