Sunday 26 July 2020 12:26, UK
Wales women's manager Jayne Ludlow says she understands her players' desire to feature in a Team GB side at the Tokyo Olympics and that it would be "fantastic" to see them compete.
Team GB are set to take a side to the Tokyo Games, which has been pushed back to the summer of 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Football's governing bodies in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are all against the idea of their players competing for Team GB because of the threat it poses to their statuses in the game, but will not prevent them being selected.
Team GB entered men's and women's teams to London 2012, but the associations outside England only agreed to that on the condition it was a one-off to mark a home Games.
Ludlow, who spent the bulk of her career with Arsenal, made 61 appearances for Wales as a player and admits she was open to the possibility of playing for Team GB in 2012, but missed out on selection.
"Being a player, there was a small window of opportunity that I could have been involved in that myself, it was something that I definitely aspired to," Ludlow told Sky Sports News.
"And the group of players we have now would be no different in that sense. For them, when you're a top level player, you want to play in the best environment, the best competitions you can, and this potentially allows that to happen for some of them.
"From an Association point of view, we've been clear in our stance of allowing players to participate, but we can't openly support it. And obviously as an FAW staff member that's where I stand with it.
"Do I love the Olympics as an ex-sports person and somebody who loves sport in general? Of course I do and it would be fantastic to see people that I know very well competing in that environment.
"But there's always politics with football unfortunately and I'm just thankful I don't get to make those decisions at times."
