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6 February 2026  5 min read

The Italian job - World Cup qualifying double-header has extra edge for GB captain Wheatle

The sides meet in Newcastle on February 27 before the return fixture in Livorno on March 2 – tickets for the home game are on sale now HERE.  

Forward Wheatle, 27, has spent almost half of his life in Italy after moving from London at the age of 15, following interest from Italian clubs while he was representing the England Under-16s.  

What began as an unexpected opportunity quickly became the foundation of a professional career, with Italy shaping his development on and off the court – adding a unique layer of meaning as he prepares to lead Great Britain against the country that played such a defining role in his basketball journey. 

Wheatle in action during GB's win over Iceland in November. Image: FIBA

“I genuinely just thought of it as a cool opportunity for me at a young age, never really thinking of the future too much,” Wheatle said.  

“It wasn’t that long before I went to Italy that my dreams were to be a footballer for Manchester United, so to make that pivot to basketball and within two years be going to Italy and pursuing a professional dream was crazy.  

“From day one over there I’ve made friends for life and I still stay in touch with those people I first met at 15 years old. I made my professional debut at 18 and had my career-high in scoring that same season – which is still my career-high to this day!  

“I won the championship a few years ago with Pistoia and have since been able to play EuroCup as well as everything is has enabled me to achieve with the National Team, so I’m beyond thankful for every step of the journey so far and excited for what else lays in store.” 

Italy will arrive in at the Vertu Arena, Newcastle with a strong pedigree on the international stage, consistently competing at major tournaments and with expectations of pushing into the knockout rounds. Their quality is well established and the challenge is heightened further by the recent appointment of Luca Banchi as head coach.  

A figure widely respected for his success at both club and international level, Banchi’s appointment adds intrigue to the match-up, with Italy looking to shape a new identity as GB prepare for a demanding double-header against one of Europe’s traditional powers. 

Wheatle consults GB head coach Marc Steutel. Image: FIBA

“Playing the same team twice in four days is a different challenge and becomes like a mini-play-off series in some ways,” Wheatle added.  

“We’re happy the first game is at home as we definitely feed off our crowd and we want that behind us as much as possible. The group is very close at the moment with everybody on the same record, so success in this window is going to be important for everybody.  

“Italy are a great team; they’re ambitious, they strive to reach the knockout rounds of tournaments regularly and we know it won’t be easy to beat them, but we want to build on two good performances in the first window and the win we ended with in November as we go into the summer window.  

“They have a new coach, which is a challenge for them and for us, but he is very well respected and has had significant success at club and international level. They’ll still be trying to find their identity with him but for us we know who we are, how we can be successful and how we want to play. If we can stick to our principles, we’re in a strong position to secure two wins.” 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Carl Wheatle (@cwheatle)

GB return to Newcastle for the first time in this campaign – it is a site of many famous victories in recent years.  

The GB captain reflected on the team’s return to the North East and offered a message to the supporters ahead of the Italy showdown. 

“We always look forward to playing in Newcastle and we’re excited to be back there,” he said. “We’ve secured some big wins at the Vertu Arena in the past and the crowd there is always incredibly passionate so we’re hoping it can all come together to help us secure another big result.  

“In the difficult moments in the game, we need our fans more than ever, and we try to enjoy their support and dedication as much as possible in helping drive us to deliver the best possible performances and results for GB.  

“We know this is bigger than us; there’ll be aspiring GB athletes in the crowd in this game and we have a responsibility to put on a show for them and make them feel part of the wider British basketball family. We hope it’s a sell-out crowd and that we can reward that support with a great result.” 

Words: Jamie Thomas

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