Beckham Axed - McClaren Decides

Submitted by: KevinB

In a week of great anticipation on who was to take over the England captaincy, Steve McClaren provided another twist to the story by axing David Beckham from the England Squad due to face Greece in a friendly.

McClaren insisted the decision was purely based on footballing reasons and that David Beckham was not planned to be a feature for rebuilding the England squad after a disappointing World Cup campaign. The preferred option instead is Aaron Lennon of Tottenham who thrilled fans with his electric pace and trickery in the few outings he has had in the senior squad to date.

Beckham was not the only notable absentee from the announced squad and is joined on the sidelines by Sol Campbell and David James. It appears McClaren is determined to bring in fresh new players and give them a chance to establish themselves in the senior football team. However, Theo Walcott and Scott Carson were both moved to the under 21s in order to gain more experience due to their lack of involvement with their clubs either through injury or not having been picked.

Meanwhile, both Sol Campbell and David James have recently joined up with Harry Redknapp at Portsmouth in order to gain regular first team football and extend their playing careers. The decision by Campbell had shocked Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger as Campbell had cancelled his contract with Arsenal only a few weeks earlier claiming he wished to play abroad.

David Beckham on the other hand, is living up to life without England as he had wished to claim 100 caps for his country, however McClaren has effectively ruled this out from happening. At a press conference when asked if the door was open for a recall, McClaren replied, "It will never be open... oh, I mean closed"

Beckham had resigned from the captaincy after the World Cup and had opened up the race to succeed him. John Terry and Steven Gerrard were the main contenders in consideration for the role. McClaren chose an ecstatic John Terry and named Gerrard as vice-captain. Both Terry and Gerrard were thrilled with their new roles and look forward to building a strong England Squad that will provide a strong challenge for international success.