Brian O'Driscoll says it would be impossible to turn down the Lions captaincy if he was approached by Warren Gatland.

O'Driscoll led the Lions on the 2005 tour of New Zealand, where his involvement was ended just minutes into the first Test when he dislocated his shoulder following a 'spear tackle' by Tana Umaga and Keven Mealamu.

The Ireland skipper was selected for his third tour in 2009 when they lost in South Africa.

Having never won a series, the centre wants to finish off his Lions career with a victory.

He said: "It would be impossible to turn down the opportunity if I was asked to be captain again, even though there are huge stresses that go with it.

"It's too great an honour to contemplate saying no, but there are so many names being bandied around at the moment that I genuinely don't take much heed.

"Your captain needs to be starting in the Test team, and it is difficult to say at this stage that there is anyone who is guaranteed to be starting.

"If you said 'you can get on the trip to Australia but you are not going to win the series', I would have no interest in going.

"I have already done three tours. The only reason to go on another Lions trip would be to win the series, to do something that I haven't experienced before.

"I don't want to go on four Lions tours and win none of them. People don't remember losing Lions tours, they only remember winning tours."

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