Thompson, who won gold in decathlon at the 1980 and 1984 Olympics, will visit athletics clubs across the country this summer, before holding camps from September.

 

He believes his know-how will help lift British athletics out of its current slump ahead of the London Games.

 

“Everybody realises we’re struggling at the moment, and people keep talking about the 2012 Olympics, which is only six years away,” said Thompson, prior to the Laureus World Sport Awards in Barcelona.

 

“People like me were brought up in basically an amateur era, so we were in it for the glory. We have to understand that for a lot of kids today it’s all about the ‘bling’ and the glamour.

 

“What they need to understand though, is that if you run fast enough, throw far enough and jump high enough, you get all of that anyway.

 

“I think I can give them more self belief and make them more professional. Most just don’t set their sights high enough. When I was a kid I only wanted to be Olympic champion.”

 

Thompson applied for the role of Britain’s performance director when it became available following the retirement of Max Jones last year but was overlooked by UK Athletics in favour of Dave Collins, a psychologist with little background in the sport.

 

He has remained keen to get involved in the sport and believes other former champions would also relish being given a role in helping groom potential stars of 2012.

 

“It could be hard to get some of the coaches on board - they could see it as an ego thing,” said Thompson.

 

“But I’ve spoken to some of the others (who have starred for Britain in the past) and we know the most under-utilised asset we have is our experience. Many people I know would be more than happy to help but have never been asked.