The one-time manager of Nottingham Forest and Manchester City said: "We have seen a feel-good factor generated when England won the rugby.

'If we are successful at the Olympics and do well, I think it does have that kick-on effect. At the moment the rowing is big and I think right across the board we have done extremely well.

"In the Olympics we are looking to put a football team in four years' time and someone has got to manage it," Pearce said.

"There has been some discussion and I have read people are pushing Sir Alex [Ferguson] to go in - he might have a bit of time on his hands in four years' time if he is doing a bit of gardening, so who knows."