Sam Allardyce backs Team GB football return

England boss Sam Allardyce has admitted that he is in favour of seeing a Team GB football side at the next Olympics.

The controversial idea has been heavily opposed by officials in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, who have stressed the importance of keeping the home nation sides fully independent.

Britain entered London 2012 as a one-off, having last competed as a united team in the 1960 Games in Rome, with the four national associations failing to reach an agreement for the current Games in Rio.

Allardyce has thrown his weight behind the idea of a return for a British side, however, telling BBC Sport: "I think it's 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's something we may look at in the future and try to compete in."

England would need the full agreement of the ruling bodies in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales to get the green light from FIFA to compete in Tokyo four years from now.