FORMER York City Rowing Club ace Tom Ransley has been named in the Great Britain squad for the European Championships in May.

However, rather than help to defend the coxless four title won in Poland 12 months ago he has been named in the men's eight.

The championships, which also act as a key marker ahead of this summer's Olympics in Rio, take place in Brandenburg, Germany, from May 6 to 8.

Ransley, Scott Durant, Alan Sinclair and Nathaniel Reilly-O'Donnell teamed up to take World Championship bronze in 2015 and could potentially still reunite as a quartet for the Olympics.

At the Euros, though, Ransley and Durant will be in an eight with Pete Reed and Andrew Triggs Hodge - themselves double Olympic champions in the fours - Matt Langridge, Paul Bennett, Matt Gotrel, stroke Will Satch and cox Phelan Hill.

It is hardly a new discipline for the ex-University of York student, though, given he was a member of the first GB eight to take World Championships gold in 2013, having also won Olympic bronze at London 2012.

London heroines Helen Glover and Heather Stanning, meanwhile, head up the GB team next month when they will also look to defend their Euro crown in the women's pairs.

Four-times Olympic medallist Katherine Grainger is named in the open women's double scull, reprising her partnership with Vicky Thornley.

GB Rowing team performance director Sir David Tanner said: "We are clearly ambitious to do well in Rio and will race and then review the Europeans combinations announced today."