Cahill could make shock appearance at Rio 2016

Mercurial Australia forward Tim Cahill has left the door ajar to play for the Olyroos at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, more than a decade after his last Olympics appearance in Athens.

Source: AAP

Cahill, who spoke on Tuesday at the unveiling of his own wax statue at Madame Tussauds in Darling Harbour, said while his main focal point remains on helping Australia qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, he will have to research into whether he is eligible to play at Rio 2016.

Australia's Under-23 side play in the final round of qualifying for the Olympics starting next week, and will be able to add three over-age players to the final make-up of their squad should they qualify for Rio.

And Australia's all-time leading goalscorer, Cahill, who represented the Olyroos at the 2004 Athens Olympics, would certainly add unprecedented experience to Aurelio Vidmar's side.

"My main focal point is doing as much as I can to qualify for a World Cup but ... we may have to research into that and see if I'm eligible," Cahill said.

If eligible to play in the Rio Olympics, Cahill said he "will have to ask the missus and my kids".

Meanwhile, the 36 year-old wished the proposed third Sydney A-League side all the best, but talked down his chances of playing for them.

"I hope they do well, I don't know nothing about it. Good luck to them," he said.

"I don't know anything about (being involved in a bid), I wish whoever's doing it all the best of luck. For me, I'm in Shanghai and I don't know anything about it."