So do a substantial amount of others that are over the age of 23. Wasn’t it the man himself who said that he didn’t want to be picked to ‘sell shirts’ or be used as a ‘stadium filler’? There could be up to six games in a 19 day period so he would either struggle or not play a part anyway. Many people say he deserved a ceremonial kind of end to his career in England. Well, he can have a personal testimonial then can’t he? Beckham was a great player and achieved much, but he has had his opportunities playing in World Cups and European Championships whereas many others have not. Obviously, Beckham worked hard to get there, but despite him still being able to pull off a mean set-play, he has had his day.
Even though he has represented England since joining LA Galaxy in Major League Soccer (MLS), the moment he did, he waved goodbye to any chance of being taken seriously for international football again. The MLS may not even be in the same standard as England’s second tier Championship, and although the same could be said of one of our opponents in the Games, United Arab Emirates, choosing a player on sentiment is no way to pick a team if one wants to win honours. Yes, I know one of my preferred players, Hooper, plays in a league which could be deemed Championship level football, but 52 goals in two seasons is not to be sniffed at. Pearce travelled to the United States to watch Beckham play so he’s seen plenty of him. Cynics may say that he went just to be seen to be giving the former England captain a chance, but I don’t buy into that theory.
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I’m surprised by the hullaballoo that the omission of Beckham has caused, but the same would have happened if he had been included no doubt. Those militant journalists would most probably have been stating that his inclusion is testament to our inferiority on the world stage – that we’re not serious about winning things, but instead, just wanted to provide the player with a farewell tour. Pearce wasn’t going to win either way. This doesn’t mean I’m a ‘Beckham-hater’ as one narrow-minded correspondent put it – I’ve always been a big fan of his – it just means that I want players to be chosen on football merit; ones that can win something for Great Britain. At the end of the day, as David Beckham would undoubtedly say, that’s what it’s about.
What do you think of Beckham’s omission from the Olympic squad?
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I belive in england,,BG should ahead to olympic to win gold,,,but beckam deserve to play