As Steve McClaren prepares to announce his England squad for the final round of European Championship qualifiers, pundits in the British press are proclaiming once again that the England coach should place a moratorium on David Beckham’s international career. Tempting though it may be to see a living legend complete 100 appearances for a country he’s served so well, the Telegraph’s Henry Winter says there are far better options at McClaren’s disposal for the Lions’ potentially crucial final Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia on Nov. 21.
Winter says that both Shaun Wright-Philips of Chelsea and David Bentley of Blackburn Rovers could provide the “zest” that the aging Beckham now lacks. And if it’s tempting enough to recall Becks solely on the basis of his free kicks, Winter says Aston Villa’s Gareth Barry and Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard have proven to be more than capable of a decent dead ball delivery.
The news that McClaren traveled to L.A. earlier this week to see the Galaxy midfielder play in a charity match for the city’s fire victims was met with derision by many. Terry Butcher, himself a former England captain, said it was “farcical” to try and assess Beckham’s fitness by watching him compete in a game featuring current and former Hollywood actors. Nevertheless, it would appear that McClaren is set to name Beckham in his squad on Friday — to the dismay of Winter and several others.