Beckham should be regarded as one of the greats

As we all know, on Wednesday evening David Beckham came on as a second half substitute in Spain to win his 108th England cap and equal the great Bobby Moore’s record for the number of caps earned by an outfield player.

This had led to countless debates about whether Beckham can be regarded in the same category as Bobby Moore and whether he deserves his place in the history of English football.

Patriotic

I have to say that these debates have annoyed me as have many comments from apparently patriotic English people accusing Beckham of being an average player more interested in his celebrity status than he is in his football. What absolute rubbish that is!

Firstly, let’s look at the Bobby Moore debate. The two players cannot be compared. They played in completely different eras where both the football and the associated lifestyle couldn’t have been more different. They played in completely different positions, with Moore being a cultured and exceptional centre-back and Beckham being a hard working midfield and wide player with the best delivery in open play or from a set piece as I have seen in many years.

World Cup

The clincher that many people use in this argument is that Bobby Moore lifted the world cup for England and Beckham has, so far, achieved little for the national side in terms of major competitions. That is, of course, an indisputable fact, but Ryan Giggs and George Best never even played in a major competition and few people would dent that they are great players.

Bobby Moore has a rightful place in history as a great player and a great England captain and a hero and legend of the English game. No matter how many caps any other player may win now or in the future, his standing in the game shall never be diminished.

Insult

For the many people who say that it is an insult to mention Beckham in the same breath as Bobby Moore, or that he is a hugely overrated player, or that he doesn’t deserve to have won the caps that he has, or that he is a one-trick pony, or that he has never been a great player, or that he is an egotistical celebrity who has ruined football, I say look at the facts and stop talking absolute rubbish!

David Beckham has been selected for his country by six different England managers. He has been regarded as a vital club player by managers such as Sir Alex Ferguson, Fabio Capello and Carlo Ancelotti. I don’t think they are bad judges! He has been loved and admired by fans at Old Trafford, The Bernabeu and The San Siro. Pretty impressive.

Ability

By the sheer weight of his ability, determination, desire to represent his country and his generally exemplary behaviour and humble personality, he has become an English treasure after the hatred and death threats he received following one immature and petty action back in 1998.

He has been and remains a great role model. I have children and I know which football player I am happy for them to use as a role model. He works so hard at his football and rarely puts a foot wrong off the field.

Knowledge

As for whether Beckham is still worth his place in the England team I’ll bow down to Fabio Capello’s superior knowledge! One thing I do know is that with the possible exception of the injured Theo Walcott, nobody has staked much of a claim to his position on the right side of midfield. Shaun Wright-Phillips and David Bentley have been disappointing.

Capello is not the sentimental type and he is determined that England reach and perform well at the 2010 world cup. If he could find a more talented and younger right sided player he would drop Beckham without giving it a second thought. The fact is that sadly, at this time and over the last ten years, that player has never existed.

Special

To achieve 108 England caps, many of them as captain, to recover from two major footballing traumas, to represent three of the greatest club sides in the world’s three greatest leagues, to have won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, the La Liga title, the Supercopa de Espana, the Champions League and a host of individual awards, including being picked in the Fifa team of the tournament in his fateful 1998 world cup, I would suggest, makes him a pretty special player.

So I say congratulations to Beckham, on achieving his richly deserved 108 caps. His achievements are testament to his character and dedication. Players of Beckham’s ability are very much recognised in today’s game but what makes Beckham different is his desire to play at the highest level.

He could have retired from football a long while ago and bowed of international football with a fine reputation. With the money and fame he has, what need does he have to work hard at his game? Despite all that he still challenges himself and shows remarkable commitment to the game and to England.

Greatest

Booby Moore will always be classed as the greatest and rightly so. His achievements for both club and country, especially in 1966, were without parallel in the English game.

These are two great players from two different eras and they should not be compared.

Both men are true English footballing Legends.