David Beckham’s World Cup dream ended in agony last night, as he was carried off on a stretcher in the San Siro in tears. The 34-year old, who was desperate for a place in Fabio Capello’s final 23-man World Cup squad ruptured an Achilles tendon in the dying stages of AC Milan’s scrappy 1-0 win over Chievo. With Milan’s excellent contacts, Beckham flew to Finland today for an emergency operation. It is predicted that Beckham will be out of action for at least four months, meaning that playing in South Africa is now no more than a distant memory.
This is a shocking injury to pick up; an Achilles tendon injury is hard enough to recover for a youngster at their peak, so at Beckham’s age, you can imagine that it could be a career-threatening injury. Not only will he miss the World Cup, but Milan’s late run-in in their bid to wrestle the Serie A title from their bitter rivals Inter and the majority of the MLS season with his parent club, LA Galaxy. It was widely believed that Capello was going to pick Beckham for the summer extraganvanza, because of his experience and know-how in major championships. Had he gone, he would have been the first England player to play in four consecutive World Cup finals, and though many, including probably him knew that starting England’s opener against the USA on June 12th were very slim, he was set to have a pivotal role from the bench. Beckham was a useful weapon for Capello to have, especially if England were hanging onto a narrow lead, as he can whip in a dangerous cross or free-kick and be excellent in the form of keeping ball and time wasting. His knowledge of gracing himself on the major stage would have been vital to his rivals for a berth in the right-side midfield role, likely to be between Shaun Wright-Phillips, Aaron Lennon and James Milner, though Theo Walcott should now not be discounted.
It marks the end of an era for Beckham with England. He is the Three Lions most capped outfield player, on 115 caps, just ten behind goalkeeper Peter Shilton. He won his first cap under Glenn Hoddle in a World Cup qualifying win over Moldova in September 1996. It marked the start of a love affair with the white jersey, and a love/hate association with the England fans. Who can forget France 98 and his stunning free-kick against Colombia, followed by becoming public enemy No.1 for the cowardly kick-out on Diego Simone in St. Etienne. Following England’s elimination in that tournament by Argentina on penalties, Beckham was used as the scapegoat and rightly so, by both the fans and the media. However, he steadily rebuilt his international reputation and got the chance to captain the side under Peter Taylor’s caretaker stewardship against Italy in November 2000.
A new dawn beckoned, Beckham dragged England to Japan/Korea with that unforgettable free-kick against Greece at Old Trafford, and then scored the winning penalty in Sapporo that gave England and himself a personal triumph over Argentina. Latter years under Sven Goran-Eriksson weren’t so good. A dismal Euro 2004 and a lacklustre World Cup performance in Germany saw many question his desire for the Three Lions again. After stepping down from the captaincy, Steve McClaren foolishly dropped him, then had to recall him once England’s shambolic Euro 2008 qualifying campaign turned into a bloody mess. This time, David the Legend couldn’t prevent his side from elimination before the finals, but it was McLaren who was deservedly sacked.
His relationship with Fabio Capello was a mixed bag at Real Madrid when together, but after a move to the United States, Capello insisted that if Beckham had a chance of playing for England again, he had to move on a loan deal to get some competitive football under his belt. That’s where his love affair with Milan began and he was the star of an ageing and fading side, as proven by his cameo display in Milan’s horrific exit at Old Trafford in the Champions League last week.
Nearly 35-years old, it is a real danger to write him off completely, but England’s 3-0 qualifying win over Belarus, where he came off the bench and got the man-of-the-match award could well have been the last time we will see David Beckham wearing the pride of his country. His current impact might have been questioned, but the legacy will always remain and he will be missed in South Africa, no matter what. David Beckham is a true international legend and I wish him a very speedy recovery.
It is a big loss for England. Even if he wasn't going to get much game time in South Africa, his experience would've been very useful, especially for some of the younger players.
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