HE might have earned 63 caps for England, scoring 30 goals along the way, but Alan Shearer could never boast an appearance for Team GB on his footballing CV.

He would have loved the opportunity to go for gold himself and yesterday he admitted as much when the former Newcastle United captain was at St James' Park to reflect on Tuesday's draw for this summer's Olympics football.

St James' will be the scene of nine Olympic matches - six men's and three women's - with Spain, Mexico and Brazil among those to be pencilled in to play on Tyneside when the competition starts.

This year's football at the Games will also have the added attraction of fielding a Great Britain side for the first time since 1960, something not lost on Shearer.

The 41-year-old never had the opportunity to try to represent GB before calling time on his playing days six years ago - and makes no attempt to disguise the fact he would have loved such a chance.

Shearer said: "It would have been fab. Obviously I never had the opportunity in my time. For the guys who will be picked, what a great opportunity to go and achieve something.

"I'm assuming that with the squad they will have they will also have a decent chance of being successful as well. There's a gold medal at the end of it. To have an opportunity to do that is, well, it's once in a lifetime opportunity stuff."

Shearer is widely regarded to be one of the finest strikers of his generation and is likely to have been one of the names in the frame to have represented Team GB had the opportunity been there.

Clubs have already expressed concerns about the prospect of a number of their key players missing out on pre-season at domestic level because of the possibility of Olympic call-ups. The likes of Newcastle's Papiss Cisse and Demba Ba along with Sunderland's Fraizer Campbell and Middlesbrough's Jason Steele are among those to be in the frame.

But Shearer thinks players will be desperate to take the chance to shine in a competition in which he would have loved an opportunity which never came his way.

Shearer said: "I understand it from a club's point of view. They will want their players back fresh and ready to go for the beginning to middle of August.

"On the other hand, clubs will also realise it is a great opportunity for their players to be involved in. If you are asked to play then it'd be difficult not to - you'd want to.

"As a player you would not want to miss out on the Olympics. It's an incredible opportunity. I am a bit jealous I have to say. It wasn't to be. Not in my time. It has passed me by but it will be a wonderful chance for some of the guys playing now."

Shearer described the fact that St James' will host Brazil and Spain as a 'great draw' and an opportunity 'for the people here to see some top games, top players on their doorstep'.

Jonathan Edwards, sat alongside Shearer yesterday, is now hopeful the North-East will come and show their support and make the most of the chance to see the Olympics hit the region.

The former Olympic triple jump champion, knowing tickets for the matches will go on sale again at some stage next month, said: "The North-East has had a tremendous bounce from this.

"Whether it has been the education in the schools or the businesses that have won contracts ... I mean, the Newcastle United Foundation, of which I'm a trustee, have got a number of projects related to 2012.

"For me there is a sense of life moving round in a circle. When I moved up here in 1987 to be an athlete, on my first day I signed on right next to St James' Park in the DHSS offices that used to be right next to St James'.

"When I did I never thought that I would end up back at St James' Park to celebrate Olympic football, with the likes of Brazil and Spain coming here. I am not a born and bred athlete from Newcastle but I will be enormously proud when it takes place."