NEIL LENNON, the Celtic manager, has revealed he would rather his players were not involved at next summer's Olympic Games after James Forrest became the latest Scotland international to express an interest in representing Team GB.
Forrest, pictured, follows Steven Naismith, the Rangers forward, in putting himself up for selection although, unlike 25 year-old Naismith who would be vying for one of only three over-age berths, the Celtic winger would still be under 23 years old and therefore more likely to be selected by Stuart Pearce, manager of Team GB.
The Scottish Football Association have regularly expressed their opposition to Scottish players representing an all-British select for fear it could jeopardise Scotland's status as an independent entity in the eyes of FIFA, but Forrest, the Clydesdale Bank's Young Player of the Month for November, is keen to explore the option of playing in the Olympics and believes many of his international team-mates are similarly intrigued.
"It would be a great honour for me, especially with some of the players that are being talked about for it," he said, "There are a lot of good players who could be picked. There would be no guarantees, obviously, that I'd get picked.
"But, if any Scottish player did, then it would be really good and we'd see what we could do. I think if it's a team GB then it should be fair and divided between all the countries. If any of the [Scottish] players did get picked, they would have to really consider it. But I think most of the boys would want to play in it."
Lennon, however, was not as enthusiastic about the prospect, especially with Olympic football fixtures scheduled for around the same time as qualifying ties for both the Champions League and Europa League. "I would be concerned about it," the Celtic manager said. "I'm not a big lover of the idea, that's just my opinion. I think we have enough tournaments going on the whole year round without needing football as an Olympic sport.
"When the Olympics were brought back in 1886 it wasn't for professional football. I wouldn't want to stop my players from going but I would have a concern over it. I'm not too sure how it would resonate in the world of football if you win the Olympics, but I don't think it's a great idea.
"If we were involved in Europe at that time I'd be even more reluctant to let them go."
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