Tottenham winger Gareth Bale puts himself forward for a role on 2012 Olympic ‘Team GB’

Gareth Bale, Tottenham Hotspur

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Tottenham winger Gareth Bale has revealed his hope to participate in the 2012 Olympic games.

Plans to create a Great Britain team are still on hold as the Irish, Scottish, and Welsh football associations remain hesitant to merge with an English team for the occasion.

But the Welshman is keen to play some part if he can.

“I want to play in the Olympics. I think it would be a great experience,” Bale said at the Sony Stadium during the Champions Festival at Hyde Park.

“At the moment Wales haven’t qualified for a major tournament in I don’t know how many years so it would be nice to play in one against the best countries in the world.

“You see it with the British and Irish Lions in the rugby, they come together as a unit and play against other countries.

“It’s great and there’s no reason why that can’t happen with the football.”

“The crowds would be piling in to watch us. It would be a great atmosphere and experience for us.

“I’m not really sure how it works with who can play though. That’s something that Wales would decide.”

The Irish, Scottish, and Welsh FAs are reportedly reluctant to merge with England to create a ‘Team GB’ because of such a precedent it would set, although Fifa have repeatedly assured the nations that the could still compete as independent nations after the Olympics.