Beckham at Arsenal

Plans are being drawn up for David Beckham to train with Arsenal during the MLS close season. Having not played a game since the friendly in New Zealand, this could prove a vital part of regaining match-fitness after a sketchy start with LA Galaxy.
The plan is that he will arrive in January ahead of the England friendly with Switzerland on February 6^th, but nothing is as yet finalised.

Capello positive about Beckham

Capello specifically mentioned David Beckham in his recent press conference soon after being confirmed as the new England manager. He acknowledged Beckham as a valuable asset to the team and this bodes well for David's aim of reaching 100 caps.
The next England international will be a friendly in February 2008. Capello has indicated that he is his own man when it comes to selecting a squad, and that places will be won on merit by players with the right attitude. There is no room for sentiment in Capellos squad and it remains to be seen how the personnel in this group will differ from the last squad chosen to represent England.
Having already acknowledged Beckham's contribution, and having already established a relationship with him from the days at Real Madrid, there is hope that the final chapter has not yet been written in Beckham's international career.

Capello to be new England Boss

Former player and top coach Fabio Capella is now the definite choice for the England job. His CV is impressive, but he is no stranger to controversy. He has won league championships in Spain and Italy, most recently at Madrid last season after having fallen out with David Beckham and then reinstated him in the team. Capello has taken the Champions League crown too with Milan in ‘94, and stepping up to National coach is an obvious next step. Capello left Madrid when sacked in June 2007 despite winning ‘La Liga’. It remains to be seen whether the rift that started between Beckham and Capello at Madrid is truly healed, if not David could remain on 99caps and not manage to achieve the 100 which would mean so much to him.

Beckham on the BBC

Christmas Day right after the Queen's speech, will be an Q & A session on BBC radio 2 with the most famous footballer in the world. The neat thing about this is that anyone can submit questions for David Beckham to answer. You may even get the chance to ask your question in person over the 'phone. You also get the chance to choose an appropriate song to play during the show - naturally I had a go.
I chose the Question: What in your opinion, are the most significant qualities that the next England manager should have?
And I chose 'Hyperactive' by Thomas Dolby as an appropriate song, using the excuse that it describes David's work-rate on the pitch, but mostly because I just love the track!
If you would like to have a go click on the graphic below:

Phoenix 1 Galaxy 4

Once more David Beckham gave the crowd what they came to see, a thrilling game of football capped of with a penalty expertly put away by the maestro himself.
Beckham displayed his skills by passing the ball all around the field for the full 90 minutes. Those who are not aware of what Beckham brings to a game of football, will have left the stadium in no doubt. He is not a prolific goalscorer, he is a genius at controlling the flight of a ball over a long distance.
Hence this makes him the perfect free-kick take from distance, and the perfect mid-fielder. His crossing from the right hand side of the pitch, consistently delivering the ball exactly to a head or a foot as desired is his own personal magic. In every other footballing department he is more than competent, in this specific area, he is unbeatable.
30,000 came to see the game, and although the home team were outplayed and outclassed, they did get the first goal and will have enjoyed being part of the spectacle. There is some considerable doubt over whether the penalty was merited, and probably even more doubt over whether Beckham would have been the first-choice penalty-taker. The game of football is a form of entertainment as well as a sport, and in that light, I think everyone who attended this match was thoroughly entertained.
Two goals came the way of Donovan Landon, Clint Mathis scored the other Galaxy goal, the Phoenix captain Ross Aloisi got the opening goal.

Beckham wows New Zealand

At a training session today, 15,000 youngsters came to see David Beckham in action prior to tomorrows match against the Wellington Phoenix. The excitable crowd cheered, chanted and celebrated the presence of the global soccer superstar.
Beckham is creating a major Kiwi stir, and there is no doubt that the few remaining tickets for tomorrow's exhibition match will be quickly snapped up.
LA Galaxy v Wellington is guaranteed to be sold out, let's hope they get to see another good Beckham performance, but more importantly that he manages to stay injury free.

Sydney 5 LA Galaxy 3

Monday

Over 80,000 attended the game ( a record for club football in Australia) and Beckham gave them what they all came to see. His trade mark free kick bent into the top corner just before the first half ended. This however after Sydney had already netted three times. Things could have gone badly for Beckham after a bad tackle had an effect on the same ankle he had trouble with earlier in the year. Seemingly, he was able to recover sufficiently to score Galaxy's first goal and continue, even getting booked himself for a deliberate foul just after the hour mark.

Apparently about 20,000 Galaxy shirts (no doubt a good number of those with 'Beckham' emblazened on the back) were sold, and the crowd went away happy. The Galaxy and their captain will catch a plane to New Zealand next to take on Wellington Phoenix on Saturday.

Raring to go...

Beckham is keen to show that he is ready to play a full 90 minutes of football tomorrow against Sydney. In his own words, there are no England games on the horizon and the MLS season is over, so there is no reason for fitness to be spared. Contractually Beckham must play 55 minutes (such is the position he finds himself in nowadays!), but he evidently feels that he is good for a full match and is keen to show that he is up for the challenge. It's difficult to recall exactly when he last spent 90 minutes on a football pitch, but lets see if he can stay the course tomorrow...

England Mourns

David Beckham took part in the final Parkinson TV show on Thursday and explained that England should be celebrating, but sadly were in mourning following the failure to qualify for Euro 2008.

Despite acknowledging that England has the players and support (omitted to mention the coaching staff...) to really go places, somehow we find ourselves reflecting on what went wrong.

Michael Parkinson says he hand-picked the guests from amongst the thousands of celebrities he has interviewed over the years.

England manager latest

More people who don't want to manage the England team:

Alan Curbishley (West Ham) says he is happy where he is and is not interested in the job this time, not surprising since he was publicly snubbed last time...

Arsene Wenger (Arsenal) says he would be interested if he were English. Wenger would no doubt be a popular choice amongst England fans, but why on earth would he give up the Arsenal job, to find himself as another failed England manager in two years time...??

Franz Beckenbauer has suggested that Jurgen Klinsmann is the man for the job. He has a history at Tottenham of course, but apparently is not prepared to uproot himself from his home in California.

There are reports that players Terry and Gerrard will be canvassed by the FA for their opinion about who should manage the team. This proposal flies in the face of Roy Keane's view that ego's amongst the playing staff are at the route of the problems. He didn't suggest that Gerrard or Terry were the one's with the inflated ego's, but you have to question making the precedent giving this type of power to players who have failed to produce the results.

Who would be an England Manager?

Several new hopefuls have emerged as prospective England Managers, some it should be said, may be using the opportunity to wangle a new paydeal from their current employers (Surely not...!).
The latest crop include Rafa Benitez (hoping for new pay deal at Liverpool.....), Steve Coppell (Reading) who says he has attracted speculation simply because he is English, and Harry Redknapp (Portsmouth) who has said that he doesn't really expect to be asked....
Martin O'Neill may be reluctant to apply since he was turned down before by the FA, Mourinho says he doesn't want the job, but is still favourite with many....
Sam Allerdyce (Newcastle) was interested when he was working at Wigan and his bosses were 'happy' for him to apply, but this time around, he says his loyalty is with his new club and new contract.
So, far lot's of people saying that it won't be them... let's hope the smoke clears soon, and the speculation is ended with a swift appointment.

Steve McClaren sacked

The FA have today sacked Steve McClaren from his job as England coach following the failure of the England team to qualify for Euro 2008. There was not much doubt that this would be inevitable, and there was no guarantee that McClaren's position would heve remained tenable even if the team had qualified.
The search for a new manager can now go public. So far I have seen speculation about Fabio Capello (former Real Madrid coach) and Martin O'Niell (Aston Villa). Hopefully this issue will be resolved swiftly so that England can rebuild in time for the next world cup. There is also some speculation that out-of-work Jose Mourinho could be in line for the job, which would be a bold choice indeed!!
Watch this space for developing news and speculation on how this will effect David Beckham and the England team.

England fail to qualify

Despite the best efforts of Beckham who joined the game for the second half when England were already 2 - 0 down, England fail to make two additional goals count as Croatia knock them out with a third. Final score England 2 Croatia 3 - the side were blatantly missing that vital spark when a Scott Carson error allowed Croatia to go ahead in the seventh minute.

Still reeling from the shock, the defence step out, but not sufficiently to stop Croatia popping a second past a stranded Carson in the 14th minute. From then on England had all the possession but very few creative ideas.

A dejected team left the field at half time to be bolstered by Defoe and Beckham in the second half. A penalty got England back into the game, well taken by Lampard. The inevitable Beckham cross and Crouch finish took England to 2 - 2 with all to play for. Agonisingly the third wouldn't come until the Croatia substitute striker scored a wonder goal burying England hopes in the mud of Wembley.Will we see more of Beckham in an England shirt now he has reached 99 caps? On tonight's performance I have to say Yes... His impact on the second half was undeniable, he gives hope to the team every time there is a free kick and corner. Hope and positivity which was sadly missing when he was not on the pitch in the first half.

Beckham won't start at Wembley

Tonight's vital Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia will start without David Beckham according to the latest rumours. Shaun Wright-Phillips is tipped to replace Beckham in the starting line-up. Steve McClarens bold decision will hopefully pay off otherwise it may be one of the last bold decisions he will be making as the England Manager. Already the stories are emerging of who is likely the replace him, and these aren't just idle speculation.
Wright-Phillips on the one side with Joe Cole on the other may just provide an injection of pace to catch out Croatia, but unless either player can get some telling crosses in, England may not be making the best use of the ultra-tall Peter Crouch.

England v Croatia

This is the big one then, the last chance for England to qualify for Euro 2008. Croatia are certain of a place, but the pressure is now on Russia who need England to fail in order to qualify, assuming they can overcome Andorra.
A minimum of a point is required for tomorrow's game at Wembley, and this time Steve McClaren is not giving any clues as to who will be in the starting eleven.
I am fairly certain that Beckham will play at least a hour, with the possibility of Wright-Phillips replacing him in the latter stages if things are comfortable or if Beckham is tiring. I would hope to see Gerrard and Barry start the game with Lampard kept in reserve in case of early injury. It looks like big Peter Crouch in the lone-role up front which should give the Croatia defenders something to think about, complemented with the pace and skills of Joe Cole and the whipped crosses from Beckham. McClaren will be hoping that this is enough to keep the lid on a Croatia team that have the potential to burst the England bubble...
At the back will be an admittedly make-shift combination built around Micah Richards, Sol Campbell and maybe Wes Brown.
The good news is that Croatia are not under pressure to win, the bad news is that Croatia are not under pressure to win!
C'mon Andorra!!!

Israel 2 Russia 1

Hope springs eternal for England's chances of qualifying for Euro 2008 and Beckham's chances of reaching the target of 100 England caps. Israel go ahead as Russia start nervously, Russia pull themselves together, score the equaliser and begin to stamp their authority on the game, only to lose out to a second Israeli goal leaving them 2 points behind England in the group. With one more match to play, assuming Russia will beat Andorra, England need 1 point minimum from Wednesdays game against Croatia. England's fate is firmly back in their own hands - remember Beckham's last gasp goal against Greece which qualified us for the European Championships? Something along those lines is definitely on the cards.... Many thanks to the Israeli team for their efforts!

Austria 0 England 1

Well, the plan didn't really go according to script tonight, England win but were far from convincing against fairly ineffective opposition.
Beckham played his part by providing the cross from a corner for a Peter Crouch headed goal (I predicted something along those lines at least), but the team as a whole did not really get their teeth into the game and stamp their authority. Worse, Michael Owen is injured and will not play on Wednesday. McClaren will be heavily criticised for the injury to Owen, but his future (if it is not already decided) hangs on how the Israel v Russia and Croatia v Macedonia games go tomorrow.
As predicted, Barry got a run-out in the second half, leading to speculation that he and Gerard (also played 45mins) will start on Wednesday. Defoe looked sharp as a replacement for Owen and may start up front with Crouch. We saw Ashley Young make a good start with Alan Smith coming off the bench and Bentley joining him.
Beckham played about an hour, which was expected in light of the game on Wednesday, everything points to Beckham starting on Wednesday, with the possibility of Wright-Phillips replacing him later in the game.

England starting XI

Steve McClaren named his starting eleven for the friendly against Austria tomorrow night.
England team: Scott Carson, Micah Richards, Joleon Lescott, Sol Campbell, Wayne Bridge, David Beckham, Steven Gerrard (Captain), Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Michael Owen, Peter Crouch

I was disappointed to see that Gareth Barry has been replaced, even if it is with Lampard, but I would not be surprised to see him playing next week unless Lampard has a phenomenal game...
Other notable exceptions are Rooney who is injured, Fredinand (suspended), ShaunWright-Phillips and Paul Robinson.

This looks like a slightly experimental team at this juncture with a few players needing to prove themselves for the vital Croatia game, Beckham included. I would expect a slightly different starting line-up next week.

Beckham then, is set to collect his 98th cap, and much interest will be generated by his presence on the pitch, he will feel he has something to prove, this is often when he at his most dangerous. He will have option of crossing to Crouch or Owen, both top-class finishers.

A Beckham assist whipped in from the right for an early goal (header by Crouch) would settle the side and show Euro 2008 what it will be missing if this team doesn't manage to qualify. I would hope to see this followed up by a Beckham 'bend it' special free kick from the left-side a few yards outside the penalty area for goal number two, and a slipped Lampard pass for Owen's deft touch to pop the third past an unsuspecting keeper....

There's my prediction then, for what it's worth - I really hope I don't have to eat my words when the result comes in tomorrow... Either way, if Israel can't contain Russia on Saturday, it will be a disappointing blow and will make the Croatia game a 'just for pride' match as far as England are concerned. Beckham to collect cap no 99? will he ever get the chance to make it to 100??

England v Austria

England manager Steve McClaren is set to start both David Beckham and Ashley Cole in the match against Austria this coming weekend. Both players have had recent ankle injuries and need some top class football before the vital clash against Croatia.

McClaren has defended the decision to play Austria, despite rumblings that the match is pointless. There will be opportunities for Cole and Beckham to play a competitive match which will form part of the preparation for 21st, and a chance to try Scott Carson in goal as a replacement for Paul Robinson.

England supporters will be hoping for a convincing performance, some goals (in the right net) and a distinct lack of injuries....

Galaxy 2 Thunder 1

The Galaxy beat the USL's Minnesota Thunder in a shootout when the two teams drew 1-1 after full-time. Beckham provided the assist in the 7th minute for the Galaxy goal and played 73 minutes in total. He took control of kicking duties for free-kicks as expected, but the Galaxy could only manage the one goal in normal time.

Over 20,000 turned out to see the spectacle and Beckham left the pitch to resounding approval from the fans.

Next stop Vienna on the 16th for the warm up before the real clash on 21st against Croatia.
The Galaxy were originally scheduled to come to Minnesota on Oct. 10, but the match was rescheduled after Beckham sprained his knee.

Back in the England squad

Beckham currently has 97 caps and is chasing a century at least before retirement. Time will tell whether this will be possible, but not qualifying for the Euro2008 championships could strike a fatal blow to that ambition.

Steve McClaren as expected, at noon today named Beckham in his squad for the friendly against Austria (16th Nov) and the qualifier against Croatia (21st Nov). Of course, it could all be over if Israel succumb to Russia at home on 17th November. In which case, it will be interesting to see how the politics plays out. Beckham will undoubtedly want to play, whether the Galaxy will want him to play may be a different story, especially with some lucrative exhibition matches on the horizon.

It will be best all round of course if there is something to play for on the 21st, the atmosphere is going to be a bit flat otherwise, and it will probably be the last time that McClaren will take charge of the England squad. If courage and determination are required, the England squad only need to look to the England Rugby team for inspiration, a team who managed to reach the World Cup Final against all the odds earlier this year.

In other squad news, Rooney, Ferdinand and John Terry are all out with injuries.

England squad: Robinson, Carson, James, P Neville, Campbell, Richards, Brown, Lescott, Shorey, Bridge, A Cole, Beckham, Wright-Phillips, Bentley, Gerrard, Lampard, Hargreaves, Barry, J Cole, Downing, Young, Smith, Crouch, Defoe, Owen.

Gullit to join the Galaxy

As much as David Beckham will be (hopefully) the dominating player for the coming MLS season, Ruud Gullit will undoubtedly become the dominating managerial figure. Gullit unleashed his charismatic management style at Chelsea after retiring as a player, and will no doubt be breathing a breath of fresh air into the the Galaxy team and the MLS in general.

Former coach Frank Yallop stepped down after the end of a disappointing season to return to San Jose Earthquakes.

Although the arrival of Gullit will definitely cause a certain amount of fuss and interest, it will not quite be as dramatic as the arrival of Beckham. However it is good the see that The Galaxy have consolidated their resolve to improve the team by bringing in another class act to complement the captaincy of Beckham. I look forward to an exciting start to next MLS season with these two hug characters on board.

Vancouver 0 LA Galaxy 0

Beckham played around 70 minutes in the 0-0 draw with Vancouver Whitecaps yesterday. This will be his last competitive match before the England game against Austria next weekend. The good really news is that there appears to be remaining ill-effects from recent injuries.
The official announcement of the England squad will take place tomorrow, Steve McClaren is expected to include Beckham in the squad following his visit to LA for the charity match earlier this week.

Beckham may take Galaxy back to Real Madrid

The long list of non-competitive fixtures may now include an invitation for LA Galaxy to play Real Madrid on December 5th for the 'Santiago Bernabeu friendly' trophy.
The annual challenge match originally been scheduled for August 28th against sporting Lisbon, but was postponed after the sudden death of Sevilla FC player Antonio Puerta.
Sporting may not be able to make the rescheduled game, so it is believed that the Galaxy are been offered the challenge instead.

Back in the England squad

Steve McClaren the under-pressure England manager, is expected to include Beckham in the England squad for the friendly against Austria, and the Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia. The friendly takes place on 16th November, the qualifier on th 21st. England's fate may already be sealed if Israel succumb to Russia at home on November 17th. This also means that Becks will not play in the charity match organised by former Real Madrid team-mate Zinadene Zidane on 17th November in Malaga.

McClaren does not officially announce his squad until Friday

LA Galaxy 10 Hollywood United 4

On-form Beckham scores two and sets up three goals whilst raising $100,000 for the wildfires charity. The good news is that Beckham managed 83 minutes on the pitch, the longest period he has managed since moving state-side....and didn't pick up any new injuries

Steve McClaren travelled to LA to tell Becks that he will be included in the England squad which will be officially announced on Friday. The first game will be a friendly in Vienna on November 16th. The critical Croatia game is on the 21st, though if Russia beat Israel on November 17th England will effectively be out of the Euro 2008 competition. This rules out Beckham's inclusion in the 'Match against Poverty' charity match on November 17th in Malaga.

McClaren has come under severe criticism for travelling to LA to use the charity match to assess Beckhams fitness for national duty, but he is in a last ditch gamble position anyhow, so I don't suppose he will take much notice.

Among those playing for Hollywood United were former players Jorge Campos, Frank LeBoeuf and Eric Wynalda, Galaxy General Manager Alexi Lalas, Def Leppard guitarist Viv Campbell and actor Anthony LaPaglia, who started in goal.

Becks waits for England call...

David Beckham has been invited by Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo to take part in the'Match against Poverty' at Malaga's Roseleda Stadium on November 19th. His decision to take part will depend on whether there is likely to be an England call-up for the game on 21st against Croatia

There is no clear indication as yet from under-pressure England manager Steve McClaren as to whether Beckham figures in his plans for the vital European Championship qualifier. An official of the charity said that players must indicate a confirmation of their participation two or three weeks before the game - I am sure they will see sense and make an exception in this case....

There appears to be no shortage of charity and exhibition matches to take part in, by all accounts Beckham will probably play twice as much off-season than he was able to play on-season for the Galaxy...

Charity match on November 4th

Another match which will feature Beckham has now been arranged for November 4th against Hollywood United to raise funds to help victims of the California wildfires..

Beckham's impact on the MLS is really in the balance, and he will need to show the doubters what he is made of over the next few games, even though these are all exhibition matches. There are many who will be watching Beckham solely because of the money involved, they have little idea of the talent Beckham has. Similarly many may have been encouraged to spend on LA Galaxy merchandising, and need to know why they have bought a shirt with 'BECKHAM' emblazened on the back - Those of us in the know have no doubts that they have a player that can pull a performance out of the bag when the chips (or fries) are down. Maybe these exhibition games will be a chance for the man himself to show them what the frenzy is all about. Coincidentally, it may be a chance to show England that he is up for the task of beating Croatia...

Beckham Virus

A sign of real fame is when virus manufacturers use your name to promote their latest virus. The latest virus to hit PC's is a backdoor virus which promises pictures of DB in a compromising position. Apparently opening the email will not be problematic, but visiting the site to download the fake picture will infect your system if you are using a Windows OS platform.
My personal recommendations on unsolicited emails are:

1. never open attachments from people you don't know
2. never click on the links within the email

In any case, always have up to date anti-virus software to keep your system clean.

Beckham to play on Nov 7th

Having played in only 5 LA Galaxy games this season, Beckham is lined up to play a minimum of 45 minutes in an exhibition soccer game between the Vancouver Whitecaps and LA Galaxy.

Originally the friendly was postponed after Beckham suffered a sprained right knee in August. The Whitecaps say they have sold over 40,000 tickets with the majority of the fans holding onto their tickets after the rescheduling of the game.

The Whitecaps are determined to give good account of themselves and have embarked on a period of intense training prior to the game on November 7th - No doubt the England set-up will have their eye on Beckham for this game, another disappointing performance could rule him out of a chance to play against Croatia two weeks later.

Season over?

The possibility of six months without a competitive game now looms for Beckham, as the Galaxy fail to win a place in the play-offs. The MLS season resumes in April 2008 and the former England captain will be desperate to demonstrate that he is in good enough form to be included in the England squad for the European Championship qualifier against Croatia on November 21st. However, he has denied reports that he could return to England for a spell on loan with a Premier League outfit, though this would seem to be a not altogether bad idea for Beckham, England, Galaxy and one Premier league club....

Return to the Pitch

Beckham manages his first twenty minutes on the pitch since August helping the Galaxy to a 1-1 draw against Red Bull New York. The Galaxy are enjoying a run of success in the fight for a play-off place, but all hangs on the next game against Chicago Fire.

Close to comeback

There are encouraging but cautious noises wafting from the Galaxy treatment rooms indicating that Beckham may be ready to make a return to the fray for LA Galaxy. The injured knee appears strong following some light training, and he will no doubt be hoping for a return to the England squad in time for the two October games.
The knee was injured in a Galaxy game on 29th August, compounding the earlier frustration of the ankle injury that he sustained with England and that has kept him off the pitch for much of the time he has been in LA.

Becks to play in New Zealand

An exhibition game between LA Galaxy and Wellington Phoenix has been agreed to take place on 27th November, just six days after the England Croatia game that could seal England's qualification into the European Championships.
Phoenix and the local council have stumped up the cash, and a Beckham appearance will be vital, in fact he will be required to play at least an hour.
Injury continues to spoil Beckhams first season in the MLS and threatens the likelihood of further England appearances.

First goal for Galaxy

Having made just two very brief appearances in Galaxy colours before today, Beckham started the game and curled on of his trade-mark free kicks into the net from 25 yards after 28 minutes against DC United.
Beckham was named as captain for the game, and was roundly applauded when substituted a little after the hour mark. Galaxy went on to win the game 2 - 0, helping to silence some of the concerns voiced by those who wonder if The Galaxy have spent their money wisely.

Beckham arrives in LA

The much-talked-about move takes place, David Beckham arrives at LA Galaxy to start the latest phase of his career. Although the deal has been signed and sealed since January, there was some speculation that Madrid may take steps to retain his services after a very successful season for Real Madrid. Despite this, the Beckhams arrive in LA to begin a new life in the USA.
Whether David Beckham alone is enough to raise the profile of soccer in the US is a debate that will continue for a while yet. there is no doubt however that the cult of Beckham is already creating a buzz across the nation.
We look forward to seeing the man himself in action letting his feet do the talking on the pitch, although there are concerns over the ankle injury he is currently carrying.

Beckham stakes his claim in the US

David Beckham calls time on his days as a Real Madrid player, despite being recently out of favour, his performance at the end of the season left Real wondering if they should have tried harder to keep Beckham on contract for a little longer. In the final season as a Real Madrid player, he has played a significant role in Madrid's success in winning the league trophy.
His move from Manchester to Madrid in 2003 was almost predictable as one of the few clubs that could handle a player like Beckham, with maybe a top Italian or Spanish club being the only other prospects. However the move to the USA as a career move is somewhat less predictable in terms of football played on the pitch. Looking at the wider picture however reveals the huge challenge of bringing soccer into the mainstream of American life.
Having had to forego his 'lucky' number 7 jersey at Madrid, due to the fact that Raul already laid claim to it, number 23 was chosen as the successor... This has continued with the 23 shirt being his number at his new club LA Galaxy.

Beckham and Owen return

England beat Estonia by an emphatic 3 goals to none, Beckham in his usual style set up two of the goals (one for Crouch and one for Owen) with his world famous deadly crosses. Injury continues to be a worry as there is still concern over the ankle that has been bothering him for some weeks. The night could not have been more perfect for England with the triumphant return of Beckham and the first England goal for Michael Owen since long-term injury took him right out of the game for so long (some thought too long - thankfully they were wrong).

England draw with Brazil

England have victory against Brazil snatched away in the dying seconds at Wembley.
McLaren brings Beckham back into the squad for the first time since Beckham stepped down as England captain after the disappointing World Cup performance last summer.
"I brought Beckham back because he was playing well," said McClaren.
His return to form continued, setting up John Terry for a headed goal from a free kick. This paves the way for the next crucial European qualifier against Estonia on Wednesday.

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About

The Beckham phenomenon began for many with the Manchester United wonder goal scored from the halfway line against Wimbledon in 1996. The subsequent celebrity lifestyle, hysteria and media circus that followed takes nothing away from the prodigious talent which is at the heart of David Beckham the global superstar.
This blog aims to chart the progress of David Beckham since leaving the European soccer scene for the USA.

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