Davis Cup final: Kyle Edmund in Great Britain team for Ghent

Kyle Edmund (right) joins Andy Murray in Great Britain's Davis Cup final team

Kyle Edmund will make his Davis Cup debut in the final after he was selected as Britain's number two singles player to face Belgium.

Edmund, 20, will play David Goffin in the opening singles match at 12:30 GMT on Friday, followed by Andy Murray against Ruben Bemelmans.

Jamie Murray will join brother Andy for the doubles on Saturday.

Captain Leon Smith has retained James Ward for the reverse singles should the tie go to a fifth and final rubber.

The best-of-five tie takes place over three days at the Flanders Expo, with 13,000 spectators expected each day - including more than 1,000 British fans.

Great Britain are in the final for the first time since 1978 and are hoping to win their first Davis Cup since 1936, while Belgium have yet to win the competition.

Edmund will become only the sixth man in the 115-year history of the Davis Cup to make his debut in the final.

Clay court swings it for Edmund

It had appeared likely that Smith would select Edmund ever since the world number 100 won a clay-court title in Buenos Aires two weeks ago.

Ward, ranked 156, also recently won on the lower challenger-level tour, albeit on hard courts, and Smith chose to go with the British number two.

"I think that it was always going to be a difficult decision who started the weekend," said Smith.

David Goffin will face Kyle Edmund in Friday's opening match

"The good thing that coincided with this tie was that the number two singles players had all come into good form. James won a challenger in India, Kyle had won a challenger in South America. It was actually a really good situation to be in.

"I think where Kyle's ranking sits now, and he's very comfortable on this surface, is why we're starting that way."

Edmund has won just one match in the comparable pressure of a Grand Slam, but it came over five sets against home player Stephane Robert on the French Open clay earlier this year.

"It's my first match of the Davis Cup," said the Yorkshireman. "It's exciting itself, the fact it's a final. At the same time it's a team event and the team comes first.

"My job is to give my best and give my all. The ultimate goal is obviously to put the point on the board for Great Britain."

Belgium ready for Edmund

Belgian captain Johan van Herck was unsurprised by Smith's decision to select the untried Edmund.

"We expected Kyle to be the number two player," he said. "We expected Ward was going to stay on the team, because it was going to be a huge risk to keep Inglot in.

"If something seemed to happen to the other players, they wouldn't have another singles player."

Bemelmans, ranked 108, was optimistic despite being heavily outranked by world number two Murray.

"It's the first confrontation I have with him, match or practice," said the Belgian. "It's going to be new for him, as well. I think I probably know him better, how he plays, than him me.

"Maybe I have a slight advantage there."

Murray 'pumped' for final hurdle

Andy Murray will play on all three days, if required, after Smith chose to leave out doubles specialist Inglot from his final four.

The British number one has won six singles and two doubles matches over the three previous ties this year, and is in the mood to add a Davis Cup win to his two major titles and 2012 Olympic gold medal.

"I'm pumped," said the Scot. "There's nerves there obviously. That's really a positive thing. When I'm not nervous is normally when I worry a little bit. It's obviously a big opportunity for all of us.

"I believe that we prepared as best we can. I trust everyone in the team.

"Everyone's played a huge part in getting us here. I think everyone should be excited about the prospect of playing in a Davis Cup final."