Reading the first couple of pages of this thread is hilarious
England are crap - did alright in the end I thought Rooney is crap - very well taken goal ITV are crap - electric storm took the pictures out for 15 seconds
It won't Steve those that hate him won't change , it was the same with Beckham irrelevant of what he went on to achieve he was always a cnut in some people's eyes , people hate the man and are blinkered then on him as a player ,
Rooney, Beckham, Ashey Cole have been the only world class players England has produced and who have contributed consistently during their time and all three get the most abuse for them as men , mainly by men who have not met them would not meet them , but secretly want to be them
Cant believe you are leaving out Francis Jeffers, Anthony Gardner, Heskey and Crouch from your list.
Peter Crouch scored 22 goals in 42 matches for England. So was decent for England. David Beckham was World class at creating an image or brand. Wayne Rooney has reached at times, the Level just under world class.(on a good day) Ashley Cole was a world class left back for a few years. Lampard and Gerrard were top European class( not together thou, LOL)
It won't Steve those that hate him won't change , it was the same with Beckham irrelevant of what he went on to achieve he was always a cnut in some people's eyes , people hate the man and are blinkered then on him as a player ,
Rooney, Beckham, Ashey Cole have been the only world class players England has produced and who have contributed consistently during their time and all three get the most abuse for them as men , mainly by men who have not met them would not meet them , but secretly want to be them
Cant believe you are leaving out Francis Jeffers, Anthony Gardner, Heskey and Crouch from your list.
Peter Crouch scored 22 goals in 42 matches for England. So was decent for England. David Beckham was World class at creating an image or brand. Wayne Rooney has reached at times, the Level just under world class.(on a good day) Ashley Cole was a world class left back for a few years. Lampard and Gerrard were top European class( not together thou, LOL)
Not sure why you quoted me as I was replying, in lighthearted fashion, to the idea of world class England players, by referring to two of the worst players ever selected for England, and two who many people claimed at the time were 'world class' but patently werent.
Beckham was more than just world class at creating a brand, come on let's not kid ourselves the bloke could deliver a ball more consistently and accurate than any English footballer I had the privilege to see, he captivated and generated more cohesion and understanding between terrace and pitch, when we needed him bar a petulant immature moment of madness which he repaid a hundred times over from that point,
Ashley Cole without doubt the finest footballing full back that England has produced, in decades if not the best we have had,
Rooney a wasted player during this generation, a fantastic baller, a goal scorer, a team player and a talisman of the team, he also has had his moments, the sending off the finger salute to the fans, but we give him some shit, he gets pelters due to the man u hatred, the inability to forget his indiscretions as an extremely young man, a pre judged opinion on him and his life, yet he is 1 goal away from decades of recognition and it won't change as the hall of farm and record wall won't say anything other than record goal scorer, let down by poor Mgrs and poor preparation from top to bottom, a gutter press and life under a micro scope from the age of 16, yet he still bursts with pride and passion desire heart commitment, with an ability that has been wasted by those that should have embraced it
I liked David Beckham but never thought he was world class. When he you look at the biggest games for England he was as anonymous as the rest. His most memorable game was Greece in the 2002 World Cup qualifier and that for me says it all.
Thing is, we complain about the defence but we've got a better defensive record than Germany and Italy. It's twice as good as the Dutch record even. All those teams have drawn or even lost games - we haven't. You can point at all the different teams in each group and nitpick as much as you like but that's still very impressive to me.
Not one of our defenders would get in either Germany or Italy's first team.
Players don't win european/world cups, teams do (today, anyway.) And as a team, our players whilst not as good individually as the best in the world, have so far come through with a 100% winning record and a better defensive record than teams that have access to better players by far. Whether or not those individual players would get into the German team is totally beside the point. They DO get into an England team... with a better record than the Germans. What more can you ask, at this point?
Beckham made his first appearance for the England national football team on 1 September 1996, in a World Cup qualifying match against Moldova.[158]
Beckham had played in all of England's qualifying matches for the 1998 World Cup and was part of the England squad at the World Cup finals in France,[159] but the team's manager Glenn Hoddle publicly accused him of not concentrating on the tournament,[160] and he did not start in either of England's first two games. He was picked for the third game against Colombia and scored with a bending 30-yard free kick in a 2–0 victory, which was his first goal for England.[161]
In the second round (last 16) of that competition, he received a red card in England's match against Argentina.[162] Beckham, after having been fouled by Diego Simeone, kicked Simeone while lying on the floor, striking him on the calf muscle.[162] Sports Illustrated was critical of the Argentinians' theatrics in that incident, stating that Simeone first delivered a "heavy-handed challenge" on Beckham and then "fell like a ton of bricks" when Beckham retaliated.[163] Simeone later admitted to trying to get Beckham sent off by over-reacting to the kick and then, along with other members of his team, urging the referee to send Beckham off.[164] The match finished in a draw and England were eliminated in a penalty shootout. Many supporters and journalists blamed him for England's elimination and he became the target of criticism and abuse, including the hanging of an effigy outside a London pub, and the Daily Mirror printing a dartboard with a picture of him centred on the bullseye. Beckham also received death threats after the World Cup.[165]
The abuse that Beckham was receiving from English supporters peaked during England's 3–2 defeat by Portugal in Euro 2000, a match where Beckham set up two goals, when a group of England supporters taunted him throughout the match.[166] Beckham responded by raising his middle finger and, while the gesture attracted some criticism, many of the newspapers that had previously encouraged his vilification asked their readers to stop abusing him.[167]
On 15 November 2000, following Kevin Keegan's resignation as England manager in October, Beckham was promoted to team captain by the caretaker manager Peter Taylor, and then kept the role under new manager Sven-Göran Eriksson.[168]
"We've played two and a half minutes of stoppage time. England trail by 2 goals to 1. Beckham could raise the roof here with a goal.... I don't believe it! David Beckham scores the goal to take England all the way to the World Cup Finals!... Give that man a Knighthood!"
—Television commentary on Beckham's stoppage time 30-yard curling free-kick against Greece in the 2002 World Cup qualifying game in October 2001.[169] Beckham played a major role in helping England qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, starring in an impressive 5–1 victory over Germany in Munich. The final step in Beckham's conversion from villain to national hero happened in England's final qualifying game against Greece on 6 October 2001.[170] England needed to win or draw the match to qualify outright for the World Cup, but were losing 2–1 with little time remaining. When Teddy Sheringham was fouled eight yards outside the Greek penalty area, England were awarded a free-kick and Beckham ensured England's qualification with a curling strike of the kind that had become his trademark.[170] Beckham was voted the BBC Sports Personality of the Year for 2001, and finished runner-up, to Luís Figo of Portugal, for the FIFA World Player of the Year award.[171]
Beckham was partially fit by the time of the 2002 World Cup held in Japan and South Korea, and played in the first match against Sweden. After the events of four years earlier, Beckham achieved a degree of revenge over Argentina by scoring the winning goal with a penalty, causing Argentina to fail to qualify for the knockout stage.[172] England defeated Denmark in the second round with Beckham providing an assist in a 3-0 win. England were knocked out in the quarter-finals by eventual winners Brazil after Ronaldinho scored the winner.[173]
The following month, at the opening ceremony of the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, Beckham escorted Kirsty Howard as she presented the Jubilee Baton to the Queen. Beckham played in all of England's matches at Euro 2004. He had a penalty saved in England's 2–1 defeat to France and missed another in a penalty shootout in the quarter-final match against Portugal.[174] England lost the shootout thus going out of the competition.[174]
Beckham became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in January 2005 and was involved in promoting London's successful bid for the 2012 Olympic Games.[175] In October 2005, Beckham's sending off against Austria made him the first England captain to be sent off and the first player to be sent off twice while playing for England. He captained England for the 50th time in a friendly international against Argentina the following month.[168]
In England's opening game at the 2006 World Cup, against Paraguay on 10 June 2006, Beckham's free kick led to an own-goal by Carlos Gamarra as England won 1–0. In England's next match, played against Trinidad and Tobago on 15 June 2006, Beckham's cross in the 83rd minute led to a Peter Crouch goal, which put England into the lead 1–0. Beckham gave another assist to Steven Gerrard. In the end they won 2–0. He was named Man of the Match by tournament sponsor Budweiser.
During England's second round match against Ecuador, Beckham scored from a free kick in the 59th minute, becoming the first English player to score in three separate World Cups,[176] and giving England a 1–0 victory and a place in the quarter-finals. He was sick before the game and vomited several times as a result of dehydration and illness that he got after having scored the winning goal for England.[176] In the quarter-final against Portugal, Beckham was substituted following an injury shortly after half time and the England team went on to lose the match on penalties (3–1), the score having been 0–0 after extra time.[177] After his substitution, Beckham was visibly shaken and emotional for not being able to play, being in tears at one point.[178]
A day after England were knocked out of the World Cup, an emotional Beckham made a statement in a news conference that he had stepped down as England captain,[168] stating, "It has been an honour and privilege to captain my country but, having been captain for 58 of my 95[179] games, I feel the time is right to pass on the armband as we enter a new era under Steve McClaren." (Beckham had won 94 caps up to that point.) He was succeeded by Chelsea captain John Terry.[180]
Having stepped down as captain after the World Cup, Beckham was dropped completely from the England national team selected by new coach Steve McClaren on 11 August 2006. McClaren claimed that he was "looking to go in a different direction" with the team, and that Beckham "wasn't included within that."[181] McClaren said Beckham could be recalled in future. Shaun Wright-Phillips, Kieran Richardson, and the World Cup alternative to Beckham, Aaron Lennon, were all included, although McClaren eventually opted to employ Steven Gerrard in that role.
Beckham takes the free kick against Brazil from which John Terry scored On 26 May 2007, McClaren announced that Beckham would be recalled to the England squad for the first time since stepping down as their captain. Beckham started against Brazil in England's first match at the new Wembley Stadium and put in a positive performance. In the second half, he set up England's goal converted by captain John Terry. It looked as though England would claim victory over Brazil, but newcomer Diego equalised in the dying seconds. In England's next match, a Euro 2008 qualifier against Estonia, Beckham sent two trademark assists for Michael Owen and Peter Crouch, helping England to prevail 3–0. Beckham had assisted in three of England's four total goals in those two games,[182] and he stated his desire to continue to play for England after his move to Major League Soccer.
On 22 August 2007, Beckham played in a friendly for England against Germany, becoming the first to play for England while with a non-European club team.[183] On 21 November 2007, Beckham earned his 99th cap against Croatia, setting up a goal for Peter Crouch to tie the game at 2–2. Following the 2–3 loss, England failed to qualify for the Euro 2008 Finals. Despite this, Beckham said that he has no plans to retire from international football and wanted to continue playing for the national team.[184] After being passed over by new England coach and Beckham's former manager at Real Madrid, Fabio Capello, for a friendly against Switzerland which would have given him his hundredth cap; Beckham admitted that he was not in shape at the time, as he had not played a competitive match in three months.[185]
20 March 2008, Beckham was recalled to the England squad by Capello for the It's against France in Paris on 26 March. Beckham became only the fifth Englishman to win 100 caps. Capello had hinted on 25 March 2008 that Beckham had a long-term future in his side ahead of crucial qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup.[186] On 11 May 2008, Capello included an in-form Beckham in his 31-man England squad to face the United States at Wembley Stadium on 28 May before the away fixture with Trinidad and Tobago on 1 June. Beckham was honoured before the match by receiving an honorary gold cap representing his 100th cap from Bobby Charlton, and was given a standing ovation from the crowd. He played well and assisted John Terry on the match-winning goal. When substituted at half-time for David Bentley, the pro-Beckham crowd booed the decision.[187] In a surprise move, Capello handed Beckham the captaincy for England's friendly against Trinidad and Tobago on 1 June 2008. The match was the first time since the 2006 World Cup that Beckham had skippered England and marked a dramatic turnaround for Beckham. In two years, he had gone from being dropped completely from the England squad to being reinstated (though temporarily) as England captain.[188]
During the 2010 World Cup Qualifier against Belarus in which England won 3–1 in Minsk, Beckham came off the bench in the 87th minute to earn his 107th cap making him England's third-most-capped player in history, overtaking Bobby Charlton in the process. On 11 February 2009, Beckham drew level with Bobby Moore's record of 108 caps for an English outfield player, coming on as a substitute for Stewart Downing in a friendly match against Spain.[189] On 28 March 2009, Beckham surpassed Moore to hold the record outright when he came on as a substitute in a friendly against Slovakia, providing the assist for a goal from Wayne Rooney in the process.[190] In all, Beckham had made 16 appearances out of a possible 20 for England under Capello until his ruptured Achilles tendon of March 2010 ruled him out of selection for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.[191] His last game for England before injury had been on 14 October 2009 as a substitute in England's last World Cup qualifying game, which ended England 3 – 0 Belarus.[191]
After a poor performance from England at the World Cup Capello remained as manager, but was under pressure to revamp the England squad for the imminent UEFA Euro 2012 qualification campaign. He unveiled a new team at the next England match, a home friendly game against Hungary on 11 August 2010, with Beckham still unavailable for selection but aiming for a return to playing in MLS by the following month.[191] In the post-match interview, Capello said of the prospect of the now 35-year-old Beckham playing any future competitive matches for England, that "I need to change it. David is a fantastic player but I think we need new players for the future", referring to the new players that play in Beckham's right midfield position, including Theo Walcott and Adam Johnson, adding "This is the future of the team under Fabio Capello or another manager."[191] He said that Beckham may be selected for one last friendly game, stating, "If he is fit, I hope we will play one more game here at Wembley so the fans can say goodbye." In response to the comments, Beckham's agent released a statement reiterating Beckham's position that he had no desire to retire from international football, and would always make himself available for selection for England if fit and if needed.[191] He remains 10 caps short of the record number of 125 caps by goalkeeper Peter Shilton, for a player of any position.[191]
Beckham was named in the provisional squad to represent the Great Britain Olympic football team at the 2012 Olympics.[192] He was not included in the final selection by manager Stuart Pearce.[193]
It's a bit of a read but that is not the international record of some one who failed on the world stage or didn't live up to top billing , it shows a man and a player who not only achieves but learns from mistakes, isn't afraid to step up and is also just a man who has an unbelievable ability with a ball, and has the very same frailties as us all ,
David Beckham was the best player I saw play for England during my lifetime so far
His performance against Greece in that qualifier was one of the best individual performances I have ever seen by anyone playing for England. Gazza v Scotland and Lineker v Poland are the others that might come close.
Anyone every watched those Premier League 100 club programmes on Sky Sports? Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Teddy Sheringham are all in it. I watched Yorke and Cole's ones and Beckham popped up constantly, constantly either getting the assist or involved in the build up. I'd wager he gets a fair bit of coverage in the other ones as well. The bloke was brilliant, I think people just tend to cut down his footballing ability as a result of his celebrity legacy
I don't understand how anyone who watched Rooney at the 06, 10, 12 and 14 tournaments could ignore his performances. They weren't just a bit poor, they were abjectly appalling. Admittedly for a variety of reasons, but rubbish nonetheless. He's mustered two goals in 13 games. And worse than that, he's barely had a shot on goal and, at times, couldn't control the ball. Andy Carroll made him look so silly with a short cameo against Italy. He grabbed the ball and took on a few shots. Rooney didn't do that once. I find it really odd more than anything.
I still think he's one of the best we've got, but there's very little balance here. One is either regarded a Rooney lover or hater but I'm neither. I just wonder what happens to him in the summer.
Sod it when it comes to our defense, it's crap atm but we had a brilliant defense since '98 and still won f all! Hope the likes of Rooney, Sterling, Ox, Llana, Barkley, Walcott, Welbeck Kane, Sturridge and Wilshere can take us further then the Qrts next year, then i'll be happy!
Thing is, we complain about the defence but we've got a better defensive record than Germany and Italy. It's twice as good as the Dutch record even. All those teams have drawn or even lost games - we haven't. You can point at all the different teams in each group and nitpick as much as you like but that's still very impressive to me.
Not one of our defenders would get in either Germany or Italy's first team.
Players don't win european/world cups, teams do (today, anyway.) And as a team, our players whilst not as good individually as the best in the world, have so far come through with a 100% winning record and a better defensive record than teams that have access to better players by far. Whether or not those individual players would get into the German team is totally beside the point. They DO get into an England team... with a better record than the Germans. What more can you ask, at this point?
And the World Cup/European championships aren't won during the qualifiers. It's all well and good tonking the the trash we play we never turn up at the real thing. Regardless of Italy/Spain/Germany's results in qualifying they turn up when it comes to the big games.
Ashley Cole is the only England player that could make a world XI imo in the past 10-15 years. That's my definition of World Class.
I would put Rio Ferdinand in his absoulute prime Possibly but for consistency Cole is the only one in there year after year.
You would put Rio in with the likes of Cannavaro, Maldini and Nesta?
Yes I would. You Don't become Champion s League winning Captain of the most successful and famous club in the world during its glory years without being one of best. Rio was one of the world"s best for a few years in his prime.
Maldini was pretty much a different era and a left back Nesta was no where near the quality of Rio with the ball but not much between. It was difficult to actually pick a weakness in Rio's game but I understand his last few may have tainted everyone's view as we all have short memories.
Ashley Cole is the only England player that could make a world XI imo in the past 10-15 years. That's my definition of World Class.
I would put Rio Ferdinand in his absoulute prime Possibly but for consistency Cole is the only one in there year after year.
You would put Rio in with the likes of Cannavaro, Maldini and Nesta?
Rio was a very good defender in his day, him and Vidic are one of the best centre back partnerships in recent times.
Rio and Sol in 02 were the best central defensive partnership England have had in my time, and were probably the best pair at that World Cup. If only they'd had a decent right back to work with.
Ashley Cole is the only England player that could make a world XI imo in the past 10-15 years. That's my definition of World Class.
I would put Rio Ferdinand in his absoulute prime Possibly but for consistency Cole is the only one in there year after year.
You would put Rio in with the likes of Cannavaro, Maldini and Nesta?
Rio was a very good defender in his day, him and Vidic are one of the best centre back partnerships in recent times.
Rio and Sol in 02 were the best central defensive partnership England have had in my time, and were probably the best pair at that World Cup. If only they'd had a decent right back to work with.
Massive shame that Gary Neville wasn't there, fantastic right back.
David Beckham's performance against Greece was fantastic, To be world class you have to do that on a regular basis and not just against modest opposition. I loved his passion for England but Good crosses and excellent Free kicks alone, can't make you world class. It did make him a game changer, just like Rooney, and one of our best players over the last 25 years.
David Beckham's performance against Greece was fantastic, To be world class you have to do that on a regular basis and not just against modest opposition. I loved his passion for England but Good crosses and excellent Free kicks alone, can't make you world class. It did make him a game changer, just like Rooney, and one of our best players over the last 25 years.
I am not necessarily disagreeing with your opinion Sam, but on that definition, Messi isn't world class then.
David Beckham's performance against Greece was fantastic, To be world class you have to do that on a regular basis and not just against modest opposition. I loved his passion for England but Good crosses and excellent Free kicks alone, can't make you world class. It did make him a game changer, just like Rooney, and one of our best players over the last 25 years.
I am not necessarily disagreeing with your opinion Sam, but on that definition, Messi isn't world class then.
Comments
(Or maybe, possibly, both of the above!)
England are crap - did alright in the end I thought
Rooney is crap - very well taken goal
ITV are crap - electric storm took the pictures out for 15 seconds
Drama.........
Wayne Rooney has reached at times, the Level just under world class.(on a good day)
Ashley Cole was a world class left back for a few years.
Lampard and Gerrard were top European class( not together thou, LOL)
Ashley Cole without doubt the finest footballing full back that England has produced, in decades if not the best we have had,
Rooney a wasted player during this generation, a fantastic baller, a goal scorer, a team player and a talisman of the team, he also has had his moments, the sending off the finger salute to the fans, but we give him some shit, he gets pelters due to the man u hatred, the inability to forget his indiscretions as an extremely young man, a pre judged opinion on him and his life, yet he is 1 goal away from decades of recognition and it won't change as the hall of farm and record wall won't say anything other than record goal scorer, let down by poor Mgrs and poor preparation from top to bottom, a gutter press and life under a micro scope from the age of 16, yet he still bursts with pride and passion desire heart commitment, with an ability that has been wasted by those that should have embraced it
Great captain, great leader, good player.
Beckham had played in all of England's qualifying matches for the 1998 World Cup and was part of the England squad at the World Cup finals in France,[159] but the team's manager Glenn Hoddle publicly accused him of not concentrating on the tournament,[160] and he did not start in either of England's first two games. He was picked for the third game against Colombia and scored with a bending 30-yard free kick in a 2–0 victory, which was his first goal for England.[161]
In the second round (last 16) of that competition, he received a red card in England's match against Argentina.[162] Beckham, after having been fouled by Diego Simeone, kicked Simeone while lying on the floor, striking him on the calf muscle.[162] Sports Illustrated was critical of the Argentinians' theatrics in that incident, stating that Simeone first delivered a "heavy-handed challenge" on Beckham and then "fell like a ton of bricks" when Beckham retaliated.[163] Simeone later admitted to trying to get Beckham sent off by over-reacting to the kick and then, along with other members of his team, urging the referee to send Beckham off.[164] The match finished in a draw and England were eliminated in a penalty shootout. Many supporters and journalists blamed him for England's elimination and he became the target of criticism and abuse, including the hanging of an effigy outside a London pub, and the Daily Mirror printing a dartboard with a picture of him centred on the bullseye. Beckham also received death threats after the World Cup.[165]
The abuse that Beckham was receiving from English supporters peaked during England's 3–2 defeat by Portugal in Euro 2000, a match where Beckham set up two goals, when a group of England supporters taunted him throughout the match.[166] Beckham responded by raising his middle finger and, while the gesture attracted some criticism, many of the newspapers that had previously encouraged his vilification asked their readers to stop abusing him.[167]
"We've played two and a half minutes of stoppage time. England trail by 2 goals to 1. Beckham could raise the roof here with a goal.... I don't believe it! David Beckham scores the goal to take England all the way to the World Cup Finals!... Give that man a Knighthood!"
—Television commentary on Beckham's stoppage time 30-yard curling free-kick against Greece in the 2002 World Cup qualifying game in October 2001.[169]
Beckham played a major role in helping England qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, starring in an impressive 5–1 victory over Germany in Munich. The final step in Beckham's conversion from villain to national hero happened in England's final qualifying game against Greece on 6 October 2001.[170] England needed to win or draw the match to qualify outright for the World Cup, but were losing 2–1 with little time remaining. When Teddy Sheringham was fouled eight yards outside the Greek penalty area, England were awarded a free-kick and Beckham ensured England's qualification with a curling strike of the kind that had become his trademark.[170] Beckham was voted the BBC Sports Personality of the Year for 2001, and finished runner-up, to Luís Figo of Portugal, for the FIFA World Player of the Year award.[171]
Beckham was partially fit by the time of the 2002 World Cup held in Japan and South Korea, and played in the first match against Sweden. After the events of four years earlier, Beckham achieved a degree of revenge over Argentina by scoring the winning goal with a penalty, causing Argentina to fail to qualify for the knockout stage.[172] England defeated Denmark in the second round with Beckham providing an assist in a 3-0 win. England were knocked out in the quarter-finals by eventual winners Brazil after Ronaldinho scored the winner.[173]
The following month, at the opening ceremony of the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, Beckham escorted Kirsty Howard as she presented the Jubilee Baton to the Queen. Beckham played in all of England's matches at Euro 2004. He had a penalty saved in England's 2–1 defeat to France and missed another in a penalty shootout in the quarter-final match against Portugal.[174] England lost the shootout thus going out of the competition.[174]
Beckham became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in January 2005 and was involved in promoting London's successful bid for the 2012 Olympic Games.[175] In October 2005, Beckham's sending off against Austria made him the first England captain to be sent off and the first player to be sent off twice while playing for England. He captained England for the 50th time in a friendly international against Argentina the following month.[168]
In England's opening game at the 2006 World Cup, against Paraguay on 10 June 2006, Beckham's free kick led to an own-goal by Carlos Gamarra as England won 1–0. In England's next match, played against Trinidad and Tobago on 15 June 2006, Beckham's cross in the 83rd minute led to a Peter Crouch goal, which put England into the lead 1–0. Beckham gave another assist to Steven Gerrard. In the end they won 2–0. He was named Man of the Match by tournament sponsor Budweiser.
During England's second round match against Ecuador, Beckham scored from a free kick in the 59th minute, becoming the first English player to score in three separate World Cups,[176] and giving England a 1–0 victory and a place in the quarter-finals. He was sick before the game and vomited several times as a result of dehydration and illness that he got after having scored the winning goal for England.[176] In the quarter-final against Portugal, Beckham was substituted following an injury shortly after half time and the England team went on to lose the match on penalties (3–1), the score having been 0–0 after extra time.[177] After his substitution, Beckham was visibly shaken and emotional for not being able to play, being in tears at one point.[178]
A day after England were knocked out of the World Cup, an emotional Beckham made a statement in a news conference that he had stepped down as England captain,[168] stating, "It has been an honour and privilege to captain my country but, having been captain for 58 of my 95[179] games, I feel the time is right to pass on the armband as we enter a new era under Steve McClaren." (Beckham had won 94 caps up to that point.) He was succeeded by Chelsea captain John Terry.[180]
Having stepped down as captain after the World Cup, Beckham was dropped completely from the England national team selected by new coach Steve McClaren on 11 August 2006. McClaren claimed that he was "looking to go in a different direction" with the team, and that Beckham "wasn't included within that."[181] McClaren said Beckham could be recalled in future. Shaun Wright-Phillips, Kieran Richardson, and the World Cup alternative to Beckham, Aaron Lennon, were all included, although McClaren eventually opted to employ Steven Gerrard in that role.
Beckham takes the free kick against Brazil from which John Terry scored
On 26 May 2007, McClaren announced that Beckham would be recalled to the England squad for the first time since stepping down as their captain. Beckham started against Brazil in England's first match at the new Wembley Stadium and put in a positive performance. In the second half, he set up England's goal converted by captain John Terry. It looked as though England would claim victory over Brazil, but newcomer Diego equalised in the dying seconds. In England's next match, a Euro 2008 qualifier against Estonia, Beckham sent two trademark assists for Michael Owen and Peter Crouch, helping England to prevail 3–0. Beckham had assisted in three of England's four total goals in those two games,[182] and he stated his desire to continue to play for England after his move to Major League Soccer.
On 22 August 2007, Beckham played in a friendly for England against Germany, becoming the first to play for England while with a non-European club team.[183] On 21 November 2007, Beckham earned his 99th cap against Croatia, setting up a goal for Peter Crouch to tie the game at 2–2. Following the 2–3 loss, England failed to qualify for the Euro 2008 Finals. Despite this, Beckham said that he has no plans to retire from international football and wanted to continue playing for the national team.[184] After being passed over by new England coach and Beckham's former manager at Real Madrid, Fabio Capello, for a friendly against Switzerland which would have given him his hundredth cap; Beckham admitted that he was not in shape at the time, as he had not played a competitive match in three months.[185]
During the 2010 World Cup Qualifier against Belarus in which England won 3–1 in Minsk, Beckham came off the bench in the 87th minute to earn his 107th cap making him England's third-most-capped player in history, overtaking Bobby Charlton in the process. On 11 February 2009, Beckham drew level with Bobby Moore's record of 108 caps for an English outfield player, coming on as a substitute for Stewart Downing in a friendly match against Spain.[189] On 28 March 2009, Beckham surpassed Moore to hold the record outright when he came on as a substitute in a friendly against Slovakia, providing the assist for a goal from Wayne Rooney in the process.[190] In all, Beckham had made 16 appearances out of a possible 20 for England under Capello until his ruptured Achilles tendon of March 2010 ruled him out of selection for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.[191] His last game for England before injury had been on 14 October 2009 as a substitute in England's last World Cup qualifying game, which ended England 3 – 0 Belarus.[191]
After a poor performance from England at the World Cup Capello remained as manager, but was under pressure to revamp the England squad for the imminent UEFA Euro 2012 qualification campaign. He unveiled a new team at the next England match, a home friendly game against Hungary on 11 August 2010, with Beckham still unavailable for selection but aiming for a return to playing in MLS by the following month.[191] In the post-match interview, Capello said of the prospect of the now 35-year-old Beckham playing any future competitive matches for England, that "I need to change it. David is a fantastic player but I think we need new players for the future", referring to the new players that play in Beckham's right midfield position, including Theo Walcott and Adam Johnson, adding "This is the future of the team under Fabio Capello or another manager."[191] He said that Beckham may be selected for one last friendly game, stating, "If he is fit, I hope we will play one more game here at Wembley so the fans can say goodbye." In response to the comments, Beckham's agent released a statement reiterating Beckham's position that he had no desire to retire from international football, and would always make himself available for selection for England if fit and if needed.[191] He remains 10 caps short of the record number of 125 caps by goalkeeper Peter Shilton, for a player of any position.[191]
Beckham was named in the provisional squad to represent the Great Britain Olympic football team at the 2012 Olympics.[192] He was not included in the final selection by manager Stuart Pearce.[193]
It's a bit of a read but that is not the international record of some one who failed on the world stage or didn't live up to top billing , it shows a man and a player who not only achieves but learns from mistakes, isn't afraid to step up and is also just a man who has an unbelievable ability with a ball, and has the very same frailties as us all ,
David Beckham was the best player I saw play for England during my lifetime so far
I still think he's one of the best we've got, but there's very little balance here. One is either regarded a Rooney lover or hater but I'm neither. I just wonder what happens to him in the summer.
And the World Cup/European championships aren't won during the qualifiers. It's all well and good tonking the the trash we play we never turn up at the real thing. Regardless of Italy/Spain/Germany's results in qualifying they turn up when it comes to the big games.
Maldini was pretty much a different era and a left back Nesta was no where near the quality of Rio with the ball but not much between. It was difficult to actually pick a weakness in Rio's game but I understand his last few may have tainted everyone's view as we all have short memories.
To be world class you have to do that on a regular basis and not just against
modest opposition. I loved his passion for England but Good crosses and excellent Free kicks alone, can't make you world class. It did make him a game changer, just like Rooney, and one of our best players over the last 25 years.