David Beckham said before the World Cup that he would probably cry if England were to win the tournament.
They didn’t, but it all ended in tears anyway for the football and celebrity superstar who led his country for nearly six years.
Beckham resigned as captain on Sunday following England’s ouster by Portugal in a penalty shoot-out in their quarterfinal showdown, and he struggled to control his emotions in making the announcement.
It was not the ending he imagined ahead of his third World Cup finals, where he believed he had a fantastic chance to get his hands on the golden trophy.
”I am an emotional person and there’s no doubt I would cry,” he said, imagining a moment he has dreamed about since a child but will now never know.
Despite the waning of his position in the England camp, Beckham remains one of the team’s most experienced and dedicated members, and he made clear he wants to continue playing in the quest for the magical 100 international caps.
He currently has 94, and would be only the fifth England player to reach the milestone. Peter Shilton holds the record of 125 appearances.
Personal milestones aside, winning the World Cup was Beckham’s biggest wish after two previous failed campaigns that ended in disappointment for the Real Madrid star.
He was sent off in France in 1998 against Argentina and vilified by some fans and section of the British press, but he bounced back only to see a broken bone in his foot hamper his displays in Japan/South Korea in 2002.
Beckham (31) made his international debut against Moldova in September 1996 and has since scored 17 goals.
But it was not until 2000 that he assumed the captaincy when England caretaker manager Peter Taylor handed him the armband that he cherished so much.
In the intervening years, Beckham proved to be an important link between the players and subsequent coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, who himself has stood down.
The two men developed a real bond as captain and manager and the Swede was been unwavering in his backing for his captain even in the hard times.
His defining moment in an England shirt came at Old Trafford in October 2001 when his injury-time free-kick against Greece secured World Cup qualification and proved the zenith of his international career.
To say that it has all been downhill since then would be harsh on the former Manchester United man, but his star has never quite shone so brightly as it did on that Saturday afternoon six years ago.
Feeling like they had missed a great chance to win in Korea and Japan, he then led England to Portugal for Euro 2004, but that ended also in heartbreak when they lost on penalties to their conquerers on Saturday — Portugal.
At 31, Beckham is unlikely to play in another World Cup and the decision to resign, he said, was the most difficult of his career. – Sapa-AFP