Britain is planning to field a united football team at the Olympic Games for the first time since Rome 1960 in London next year, and the decision has caused controversy as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are opposed to their players participating in the team.

In a fierce attack, Greene, who won gold at the Daegu World Championships in South Korea earlier this year, said that he supported Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish players competing for Team GB in the football team - but that he wished there was no such team in the first place.

Welsh star Greene, who turned his back on a career in football himself, told BBC Wales: "I hope that those big names don't overshadow those people who have trained for four years to be there for that one moment.

"These guys have four to five weeks off in the summer then become an Olympian; it does seem a little bit out of place.

"These guys don't grow up wanting to be an Olympic champion; they want to be the best in football.

"The crowning glory in football isn't being Olympic champion so I don't think their sport should necessarily be involved – or at least at a professional level.

"When some guy wins a gold medal in badminton or swimming, they want it to be about them and their hard work and their story to get there.

"But sadly in some of the papers that might be overshadowed with what David Beckham had for breakfast maybe – and that is not a great story from our point of view."

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