RIo 2016: Great Britain should compete in Olympic football – Allardyce

England manager Sam Allardyce wants Great Britain to play football at the Olympic Games, feeling the opportunity to play on such a stage cannot be squandered.

Britain was represented by both men’s and women’s football teams when the country hosted the Games at London 2012.

The men’s squad featured the likes of Ryan Giggs, Aaron Ramsey, Daniel Sturridge and Craig Bellamy but suffered a quarter-final exit at the hands of South Korea in a penalty shoot-out.

Canada knocked the women’s team out in the last eight, with neither side reformed for Rio 2016, where Great Britain have so far won 66 medals.

But Allardyce told the BBC: “I think it is a fantastic venue, once every four years, and to turn it down is a great shame.

“When you see the delight on Justin Rose’s face when he won the gold medal in golf, it shows what it all means.

“It is something we may look at in the future and try to compete in.”