EMP Sport

England captain David Beckham deserves his place in the starting eleven but, if this is to be his last World Cup, he will need to reverse the rotten luck he has had at previous major tournaments

This will probably be David Beckham’s last World Cup. He will be 35 at the next one in South Africa and not many midfielders are still on the international scene at that age. But let’s not write his playing obituary just yet. In Germany, he will be 31, captain of his country and still a terrific player.

This tournament could be a case of third time lucky for David: at the last World Cup, he clearly struggled after coming back from his broken metatarsal injury. And two years ago in Portugal, he had put on a bit of weight even by his own admission and wasn’t right.

This time, he seems to be coming into the tournament in far better shape and England should benefit. David is one of the best passers in world football but needs his fitness to allow him to produce his best.

A fully-fit Beckham is quite rightly an automatic choice for England. He may have lost half a yard of pace but he can make up for that with the ball at his feet. And he works hard for the team: the way he gets up and down the pitch shouldn’t be underestimated. It comes down to this: David is a world-class player and if your world-class players are fit, you play them.

Where Sven-Göran Eriksson has a big advantage in this tournament is that he has genuine options if David isn’t 100 per cent fit – unlike at the 2002 World Cup or Euro 2004. Shaun-Wright Phillips can provide cover or Eriksson could switch Joe Cole to the right-hand side and put Steven Gerrard on the left. Fingers crossed, it won’t need to happen but at least there is a Plan B this time.

He is a great player without being one of the all-time greats. You can’t compare him with Thierry Henry or Ronaldinho but he is the next level down. I think every country in the World Cup would like him in their side.

Remember, he is very rarely left out by Real Madrid and that’s not just because he sells shirts. I have seen lots of Real games and he has done very well. He is always available for a pass, doesn’t give the ball away and of course gets the odd free-kick.

Despite his fame and fortune, he will go to Germany desperate to succeed. It is the peak of what you can achieve as a player and the possibility that it might be his final World Cup will make him want it even more. He will know this is his most realistic chance of winning the World Cup.

I think David is a good skipper although I think international captains do their job off the pitch really, as a spokesman for the team and a link between the players and the manager. He has the respect of both and that’s all that matters.

David has achieved most of his boyhood dreams. He played for the club his dad supported, Manchester United, and won a League, Cup and Champions League treble. He has then played for the only club who can rival United as the biggest in the world, Real Madrid, and goes into training every day with Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and Raul.

The thing missing on his CV is winning a major trophy for England. Most of his memories in big tournaments wouldn’t be happy ones, like getting sent off against Argentina in 1998 and missing in the penalty shoot-out against Portugal two years ago.

I know David wants to continue playing for England after this summer but if it is to be a last hurrah at a World Cup, he couldn’t ask for better team-mates to help him emulate Bobby Moore and lift the most famous trophy in football.