FYR Macedonia have expressed surprise at Steve McClaren’s decision to exclude David Beckham from the England squad.
Beckham was England’s captain at the World Cup under Sven-Goran Eriksson but has been left out by McClaren, with little prospect of a recall for a player who has 94 caps.
The 31-year-old has been left on the bench for recent Real Madrid matches but has been assured he has a future with the Spanish giants.
Macedonia face England tomorrow at Old Trafford, and coach Srecko Katanec said of Beckham: “For me, he is a key player, although now he isn’t even in the first XI at Real Madrid. If I was in McClaren’s position, without a shadow of a doubt Beckham would be in the team.”
Defender Aleksandar Vasoski said in the Daily Telegraph: “We couldn’t believe that Beckham wasn’t there again.
“For me he is a hero, a legend. I marked him when we played England in 2003 and it was one of the greatest moments of my life. It earned me a move to Eintracht Frankfurt.”