Sir Alex Ferguson agrees to manage Team GB at London 2012

Sir Alex Ferguson has agreed to be the boss of Great Britain's 2012 Olympic football team - if the politics over the issue are cleared up.

Manchester United chief Fergie has been sounded out to take charge of the first British Olympic side since 1960 by Prime Minister Gordon Brown and 2012 head Lord Coe.

Brown, a friend of Ferguson, reckons the United boss would be the perfect man to head up a GB side.

But while the Old Trafford manager has signalled his desire to take up the challenge posed by Brown and Coe, he wants to see the potential hurdles to a British team cleared before going public on the job.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter, a member of the International Olympic Committee, wants Britain to enter a team for the London Games, when matches will also be played in Manchester, Cardiff, Glasgow, Newcastle and Birmingham, and pledged it would be viewed as a oneoff.

Although the FA has been keen since the 2012 bid was envisaged, the other home nations are wary of potential repercussions for their independent footballing status.

Sfa chief executive Gordon Smith has vowed that Scotland will not be interested, with the FAW and IFA taking similar stances, worried that a promise by FIFA not to interfere by demanding a united British side in the future may not be valid.

That leaves the possibility of Britain being represented by an all-English side. However, proud Scot Fergie, who intends to quit United by the end of 2010-11, may be less keen on managing a team without any fellow countrymen.