David Beckham made it quite clear this week that he is not finished with England. Despite being 38 years old, the former England captain declared publicly that he will never retire from International duty and still hopes that he may pull on an England shirt again. Is that a realistic ambition?
Well why not? Ryan Giggs is a year older than David Beckham and is still showing great form for Manchester United, highlighting that age does not have to be a determining factor in terminating a career. While Beckham was playing in the MLS for LA Galaxy, he was rightly considered to be finished with International Football, as there were so many other Englishmen playing in a higher standard league that him. Now that Beckham is entertaining crowds at French giants Paris-Saint-Germain however, the question of whether Beckham still has something to offer his country has arisen again.
On Tuesday, PSG played one of the biggest games in the clubs recent history, when they hosted Barcelona in a Champions League Quarter Final. Who did they choose to play central midfield? Of course it was Beckham. Carlo Ancelotti overlooked some of his younger and fitter midfield options in favour of the experience and quality that David Beckham provides. It’s a difficult game for anyone who plays against the Barcelona midfield, but Beckham performed admirably and played 70 minutes to a very high standard. He showed the quality dead ball delivery he has always possessed has not deserted him, and did a sound job defensively tracking the runs of Iniesta, Xavi and Lionel Messi.
So this will surely lead to Roy Hodgson being asked the question again. Beckham, now that he is playing football at the highest level again, has every right to be considered alongside every other English footballer. If he can earn himself a new deal in Paris he will spend the next 12-15 months playing in one of Europe’s top leagues and participating, at least to some extent, in Europe’s Premier club competition, the Champions League. That is more than can be said for a number of the England midfielders who currently make Roy Hodgsons squad.
The chances are he won’t be considered. Maybe rightly. Though England aren’t exactly flying at the moment are they? One of the major criticisms of Roy Hodgsons England is their ability to keep the ball and see out games. Step forward David Beckham? The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and AC Milan man has all the top level experience in the world and still, at 38, rarely wastes a pass. Steven Gerrard had a pass completion rate of just over 70% against Montenegro last time out and he is not that much younger than Beckham. Is it inconceivable that Beckham would be a welcome addition to Roy Hodgsons squad?
Of course there are other options for England; younger, fresher more exciting options. However there is no substitute for experience. England are at a stage in World Cup qualification where they need to show all their experience and control matches they are meant to win. David Beckham can do that. When he told the media that he still wanted to play for England, there was a hint of derision. This should not be the case. If Beckham can continue to contribute at the highest level, as he did on Tuesday, he has every right to be considered and may well do a far better job for England than those Roy Hodgson is currently selecting.
