McLaren Ditches Beckham

Filed in archive England on August 11, 2006

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Steve McLaren has left David Beckham out of his England squad for the friendly against Greece. Becks was available (he played for Real Madrid in their 1-1 draw with D.C. United this week) but McLaren wasn't interested.

The move is a declaration by McLaren that he will be doing things his way, and not just metaphorically, he actually said so:

This is the way I work. It is a new beginning. I am now the manager of England and this is how I want to do things.

McLaren also said the door wasn't closed on Beckham's international future, though the former captain will need a giant axe to re-open it.

I'm fully behind Beckham being dropped from the first eleven, especially given the superior form of Aaron Lennon but it's very harsh to exclude the guy altogether. To add Insult to insult, McLaren selected Phil Neville and Jermaine Jenas ahead of the artist formerly known as Golden Balls.

Complete squad (before the inevitable injury related withdrawals) here.