For London’s free evening newspaper, and therefore what should be – and generally is – a pro-Olympics organ, Patrick Barclay’s Evening Standard column yesterday was a little out of place with many of the recent London 2012-themed stories to appear in there.

His cynicism that David Beckham and Ryan Giggs could be included in the Olympics football squad just to help bump up ticket sales may be, of course, very well placed. But does the country really care that two footballing heroes could step out for Great Britain just because of their footballing history?

Surely not. Though Giggs’ private life became one of the off-field talking points of 2011 – even surpassing some of the tripe that Fifa president Sepp Blatter came out with – his on-pitch reputation remains unblemished. A wizardry winger and one of the greatest of his generation who became the most decorated British footballer of all time, thrown in with more than two decades of service to one club.

Yes, it is a shame that Giggs has never played in an international tournament, so in a competition that few care too much about (it’s not the Euros or World Cup), why can’t he be thrown in?

He still plays Premier League football at one of the country’s top clubs. I’m sure there are better players that could be used now, but he is not so far off the radar that he should be immediately discounted.

And the same goes for Beckham, England’s most capped outfield player ever. While many will argue just where he ranks in the list of great Premier League and international midfielders (not near the top of either), the man is a footballing icon who deserves to bow out of British football on a high.

Of course, cynicism points in the direction of Golden Balls’ role as an Olympic ambassador – somebody who can bring in crowds (and therefore money) in what would otherwise be a semi-watched football tournament.

But whether this is true or not, Great Britain could do far worse than give these two footballers one final international competition (the last in the case of Beckham, first and last for Giggs) to almost wave goodbye.

Barclay may be right about the motives, but who cares? Both should have their moment for Great Britain. Euro 2012 is the competition to take seriously this summer.