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            David Beckham thinks he would be more useful as a player than a coach at the 2012 London Olympic Games when Britain fields (使参加比赛) its first Olympic football team since 1960.

            The former England captain will be 37 when the Olympics come to London, but he says that fitness will not be an issue.

            “There are several months to go and there are a lot of decisions to be made but I would love to be part of it,” Beckham told the BBC on Monday. “I’m sure I’d be better as a player than a coach so I’ll have to wait and see. I still feel as if I’m 21 when I’m playing. I still love the game like I did when I was 21. I still feel as fit.

            “Everyone knows I have looked after myself eating-wise, fitness-wise. So I’m not in bad shape and I’ll continue to work hard and hopefully I can be part of it.”

            Stuart Pearce, the manager of England under-21, the feeder team for the England national football team, is going to take charge of the team, with The Football Association administering the team and set to provide all the players.

            The Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish associations won’t be part of the team because of fears it would affect their independence and voting rights within FIFA.

            Beckham was at the World Cup last year as a member of England coach Fabio Capello’s support staff (辅助人员) after being ruled out because of a serious injury.

While Beckham made the last of his 115 appearances for England in October 2009, he is still playing for the Los Angeles Galaxy.

            But Beckham might not be with the Galaxy by the time the Olympics start in July 2012, with his five-year Major League Soccer contract coming to an end at the end of this year.