Beckham dropped from England squad, new coach doesn’t want old captain

David Beckham has been dropped from England’s national squad in their upcoming match against Greece. Beckham stepped down as captain following England’s quarterfinal loss to Portugal in the World Cup. Having been capped 94 times Beckham expressed a desire to reach the century mark but new coach Steve McClaren doesn’t appear willing to oblige.

McClaren replaces Sven-Goran Eriksson as England’s national coach and seems determined to shake things up a bit. The omission of Beckham from the 25 man squad has certainly done that. Responding to questions about the decision McClaren stated “I spoke with David last Monday and notified him of my decision and said I was planning for the future, to change things and go in a different direction, and that David wasn’t included in that.”

The universally popular Beckham, who served as captain for six years, suffered an Achilles tendon injury and ankle problems during the World Cup. He is still regarded as one of the most accurate strikers in the world but has definitely lost a step in his pace.

By dropping Beckham, McClaren emphasized his stance “I am now the manager of England and this is how I want to do things.”

He appointed John Terry as the new captain for the English squad that faces Greece in a friendly this Wednesday. Commenting about the moment he was notified of his new position Terry said “I just froze and didn’t know what to say. I am just so excited to be given this great responsibility and it hasn’t sunk in yet.”

Stressing a need to blend the proper players McClaren shared his philosophy behind the roster he hopes will return England to the top of the soccer world. “In picking the squad I wanted evolution not revolution. I wanted to start building towards Euro 2008 by keeping many experienced players who I believe can contribute and I wanted to add some youngsters, players who have come through the system and players who performed at the World Cup.”

Beckham, although disappointed in McClaren’s decision, chose to reflect on his tenure and offered a possible return to international play, “I’m proud to have played for England for ten years and my passion for representing my country remains as strong as ever.”