David Beckham equalled the late Bobby Moore’s outfield record of 108 caps for England after coming on as a substitute in a friendly on Wednesday away to Spain in Seville. The 33-year-old midfielder, recalled to the squad after impressing Fabio Capello with his recent displays for AC Milan, came on for the second half and now looks set to eclipse Moore as the most capped outfield player when England play their next match, a World Cup qualifier against Slovakia on March 28.
Beckham came on as a halftime substitute, but David Villa and Fernando Llorente scored to hand England its first loss in almost a year. The loss of England’s unbeaten streak shows it still has plenty of work to do after missing last year’s European championship, which Spain won.
EYEING 125
Beckham has still some way to go to catch the overall record holder, goalkeeper Peter Shilton, who played for his country 125 times. But it is not completely out of the question that he could reach that landmark if he is able to make his loan move to Milan permanent and realise his ambition of playing for England in next year’s World Cup finals in South Africa.
By then, Beckham will have turned 35 and have been representing his country for almost 14 years, having made his debut as a floppyhaired 21-year-old against Moldova on September 1, 1996. The first of his 17 international goals came at the 1998 World Cup, his freekick against Colombia helping England into the second round.
That tournament was to end in disgrace with Beckham vilified for getting himself sent off for a petulant kick at Diego Simeone as England went out on penalties to Argentina. An experience that would have crushed less resilient personalities served only to make Beckham stronger and his growing significance to the national squad was recognised by caretaker boss Peter Taylor, who made him captain.
CAPTAIN BECKHAM
That decision surprised many people but Beckham retained the role under Sven-Goran Eriksson and was at the centre of a revival in England’s fortunes under the Swede. Beckham was wearing the armband when England hammered Germany 5-1 in Munich in 2001 and it was his dramatic last gasp free-kick that secured a 2-2 draw with Greece later that year, clinching the squad’s place in the 2002 World Cup finals. His redemption from the 1998 setback was completed in Japan, where he scored the penalty that gave England a group stage win over Argentina. Another freekick, against Ecuador in the 2006 finals, made Beckham the first Englishman to score in three World Cups.
TESTING TIMES
Beckham’s international career appeared to have ended after that tournament when new manager Steve McClaren dropped him from the squad. But the midfielder refused to take the face-saving option of retirement and, the following June, he was back in the fold, setting up John Terry for England’s goal in their first match at the new Wembley, a 1-1 draw with Brazil. The century of caps was chalked up in a friendly defeat by France last March and it has been inevitable for some time that Beckham would reach Moore’s milestone.
That has triggered some unfavourable comparisons between Beckham and Moore which, according to Sir Bobby Charlton, are unfair. “David Beckham can’t do any more than go on the field and do his best. And his best has been good enough,” Charlton said on Wednesday.
“Of course Bobby Moore was the captain when we won the World Cup and maybe people will say that will always overshadow anything David Beckham has done. “But I don’t think David Beckham will see it like that, he’ll be very pleased and very proud.”
FRIDAY DEADLINE
Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber has set a Friday deadline for AC Milan to complete a transfer deal with the Los Angeles Galaxy for David Beckham. Garber said on Wednesday that the league will not approve any transfer that is not completed by Friday even though Beckham’s threemonth loan to the Italian club does not end until March 8, 11 days before the US league’s season begins.
