Coe, the chairman of London 2012, declined to reveal if the Scot was interested.

 

"I would love to see Alex coach the team," Coe told Sky Sports.

 

"I can't think of anybody that frankly (more) deserves at the end of a stunning career to be in charge of young players here.

 

"I've spoken to Alex.

 

"We know each other.

 

"We're good friends."

 

But there remains considerable doubt as to whether a truly British, as opposed to English team, will take part at the 2012 Games.

 

Not since 1972, when an amateur side was selected for the qualifying tournament, has Britain had an Olympic football team.

 

The main stumbling block has been the refusal of the Scottish Football Association and the Football Association of Wales to allow their players to play for such a side.

 

Northern Ireland are also not very keen on the plan.

 

They are all fearful that the creation of a British team, even solely for the purposes of an Olympic Games, could pave the way for world football governing body FIFA to strip all four Home Nations of their independent status for events like the World Cup and European Championships.

 

Coe maintained he was still keen on drawing in talent from all four countries and the chances of that could be higher if Sir Alex, a former Scotland manager, was in charge.

 

Coe said: "I clearly want the best players - wherever they come from Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England - to be there.

 

"But I also recognise it is an issue for the individual football associations and the door is open."

 

Coe added there would be no further lobbying for a change of mind on the part of the Home Nations.

 

He said: "I'm not going to get sleepless nights over it."

 

Coe's revelations about Sir Alex come a day after insidethegames revealed that England under-21 manager Stuart Pearce has been appointed by the Football Association as an advsier on the 2012 Olympics, although they also emphasised that this did not mean he would be in charge of the side.

 

Ironically, Coe and Sir Alex will be on different sides next Wednesday when Manchester United meet Chelsea, the club the London 2012 chairman has supported for 40 years, in the final of the European Champions' League in Moscow.