David Beckham not part of Fabio Capello’s England plans
Fabio Capello says he will not pick David Beckham to play in another competitive match for England as he called time on the veteran’s international career.
Beckham, 35, is England’s most capped outfield player with 115 appearances, but the England manager said it is time to make way for a new generation of younger players.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder is likely to get the chance to say goodbye to fans at Wembley for England’s friendly with France in November.
Capello said: “I hope when David is okay he can play here the last game at Wembley in a friendly to say goodbye and thank you very much to the crowd. I won’t be picking him for any more competitive matches.
“David is a fantastic player, he was really important,” he added. “But we have to see the new players for the future because the age is important for a lot of people, not only for David.
“Did I phone him before I went on television? No. I think I will speak with him. We tried to speak with him. But I think David knows he has no future with the international team because we have to change. We tried to speak with him.”
But Beckham seemingly has no intention of announcing his retirement from the international scene after his agent released the following statement: “For your info, there has been no discussion of retirement. He will always be available for his country, when fit and if needed he will be there.”
