David Beckham - England Captain
David Beckham has been picked by England coach Fabio Capello to captain the team in their friendly against Trinidad & Tobago. This news comes almost 2 years after Beckham voluntarily relinquished the captaincy of the English national team.
I know some people might think I may be overly in support of Beckham, but in my opinion, David Beckham should never have lost his place as captain of England. After World Cup 2006 English head coach Sven Goran Eriksson stepped down from his post. With public scrutiny over England’s quarterfinal exit from the World Cup, and many reporters and fans calling for change, Beckham knew he was on the hot seat. Public opinion was saying that he was aging and losing his ability as a player and a captain, so Beckham did the most honorable thing he could do, relinquish the captaincy and leave it the hands of new head coach Steve McClaren. He did this so the team could avoid the public controversy that would erupt over who would captain the team under the new coaching regime. He did this so McClaren would have an easier time transitioning to head coach, to give him one less potential headache to worry about. What Beckham did must have been amazingly difficult, to achieve a dream and then give that dream up for benefit of the team. To me, that sounds like what a true leader, what a great captain would do.
Succumbing to public pressure for change, McClaren dropped Beckham completely from the England team, only later to bring him back when desperation to qualify for Euro 2008 had sunk in, and what did Beckham do on his return? Led England to victory, inspired England to victory, but his return came too late, England had already sunk low enough to be vulnerable, and qualification to Euro 2008 eluded the team.
McClaren was fired, and Capello was hired. Beckham never second guessed anyone’s decisions, he never criticized any of the coaches, players, press, or fans who had written him off. He went about his business as a professional, kept striving to be the best player he could be, and do all he could to provided for his family. He took the high road, and he’s better for it. His actions define what a good captain should be. His actions, not his salary or fame, led Landon Donovan to give up his captaincy of the LA Galaxy to Beckham just weeks after he arrived.
Yes, it’s true, David Beckham is aging, and while his absolute best may be behind him, what he still brings in better than most players’ best. But even so, being the captain doesn’t mean you are the best player on the team, it means you can lead, and most importantly, you can inspire.
And David Beckham may just be the best at that.
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