Players back 2012 bid

England's Euro 2004 stars and former Deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine are being lined up as ambassadors of London's bid for the 2012 Olympics, it emerged today.

It is understood that talks have taken place between Football Association chiefs and bid organisers about the possibility of using David Beckham and his team to promote the campaign.

However, no negotiations will be completed until after the European Championship in Portugal.

Rivals Paris plan to use French midfielder Zinedine Zidane in their campaign and Spain striker Raul has already been named as an ambassador for Madrid's bid.

Standard Sport revealed when the bid was launched last year London was keen to get Beckham on board because of his popularity. New bid chairman Sebastian Coe is hoping to appoint a range of ambassadors from sport, business and the arts.

Coe is understood to have talked to Heseltine, who is said to have excellent contacts in Asia through his work with his publishing company Haymarket.

And with no city from Asia in the running, the battle for votes from the continent's IOC members is going to be fierce.

Coe today made his first appointments since taking over from Barbara Cassani last month. Communications director Mike Lee is now his special adviser and Sport England chairman Lord Patrick Carter is to deal with the legacy of the Games, a key selling point for an Olympics based in Stratford.