Will Hodgson consider Beckham recall? (video)
37 year old David Beckham finds himself in Paris St Germain’s first eleven this evening against Barcelona in the Champions League Quarter Finals, his starting berth coming within 24 hours of the midfielder admitting that he hasn’t ruled out an England recall.
In an interview with American network CNN, former Manchester United number 7 Beckham commented on his England chances: “If there is any chance of me ever playing for my country again, I would never turn that down.”
It may be easy for the British football media and English football supporters to dismiss the possibility of an international recall for Beckham as pure nostalgia, however the prospect should surely be considered solely on sporting terms.
Beckham is the last remaining Englishman in club football’s premier competition and tonight plays against arguably club football’s premier team. If a manager of the stature of Carlo Ancelotti believes that Beckham is able to cope with the demands of spearheading the Paris midfield against the likes of Xavi, Iniesta and Messi, some of the World’s greatest players, then surely there is an argument that Beckham is still adequately equipped to produce the goods against England’s World Cup qualification opponents.
No matter how Roy Hodgson and the English press try to mask it, England have struggled and underachieved against the likes of Poland, Ukraine and Montenegro in their qualification group and in spite of the fact the English FA have booked the team’s hotel on Copacabana beach, England are no certainties to make the World Cup Finals in 2014.
Fellow PSG team-mate Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been full of praise for Beckham and the impact he has made in France sine his arrival 2 months ago this week commenting:
“With the ball he is fantastic, he gets in good crosses, he has a good touch with the ball. He is a fighter, has a big heart and he is a winner“.
There is no doubt about it, PSG’s acquisition of Beckham has not all been fantasy, fanfare and shirt-sales. The England veteran who has earned 115 caps for his country has made a significant contribution to the French League leaders who look certain to secure their first Ligue 1 title in 19 seasons. PSG chairman Nasser al-Khelafi has been so happy with the performances of Beckham thus far that he is keen to extend his current deal beyond the end of the season.
Without doubt, the England national team are blessed with great individual talent in the midfield department, but should England continue to struggle in qualification for the World Cup, it would not be unreasonable for Hodgson to contemplate the inclusion of Beckham within the England setup once more.
0 comments