Beckham: I want to be involved in game for life
Chelsea scrape into final Europa four despite loss
by Henry Winter David Beckham wants to use his experience of playing around the world to help develop and inspire young players.
The former England captain has performed ambassadorial duties for the Football Association, promoting causes such as the 2018 World Cup bid and its 150th anniversary, but he could become involved in nurturing the grassroots.
‘‘ I want to help as much as possible,’’ Beckham said yesterday. ‘‘ I want to help English football and football in general. I’ve had experience of playing in different countries. That’s what I’ve always brought to any coaching I’ve done with kids, to whatever team I’ve played for. That’s the advantage of the career I’ve had: I’ve been able to experience different cultures, different ways of playing, different grassroots football.
‘‘ It is something that I can do when I finish playing. My career will continue as some kind of ambassador after I finish playing. I will be involved in football my whole life. There is a lot of good work being done in England with grassroots. The foreign players who have come into our league over the years have helped our game, individuals’ and teams’ games. It has brought excitement. Players all over the world want to play in the Premier League. I don’t think it damages it at all but it is important we still continue to bring young English players through as well.’’
Beckham has noted how his former Manchester United teammates, Gary and Phil Neville, are taking their first steps into coaching. Gary i s already a respected member of the England senior set- up while Phil will assist Stuart Pearce at this ( northern) summer’s European Under- 21 Championship in Israel.
‘‘ There are players who’ve had experience who are finishing their careers and going into coaching and management and that’s going to help,’’ Beckham continued. ‘‘ When you have players with that much knowledge it’s great to have them involved in the game.’’
Beckham’s experience could be deployed in talking to younger England age- group players, strengthening their connection with the national set- up in a difficult period of club v country. He could advise them on handling the scrutiny that accompanies England duty; within two years of being dismissed in StEtienne at France 98, bringing national vilification, Beckham fought back to become a hugely popular captain.
Such mentoring responsibilities can wait. For now, Beckham will play as long as he can. He was frustrated at bowing out of the Champions League with PSG on the away goals rule to Lionel Messi’s Barcelona but loved the occasion. He said: ‘‘ Being involved in these games is why I’m still playing at the age I am. It’s an amazing experience.
‘‘ Physically it was always going to be difficult. Of course it’s harder than when I was 21 but I’m still enjoying it like I was when I was 21. Every time I play it increases the urge to continue to play. It will still continue when I finish playing. I will still be playing football with my kids and dreaming of playing in Champions Leagues.’’ Playing against the likes of Messi.
‘‘ There’s only Cristiano Ronaldo that can come anywhere close to Messi. They are both so similar in techniques and talent and it is pretty incredible to have two players like that in the game at the moment. He’s a special person, special player.’’
Beckham hopes to continue with PSG next season. Yet as he spoke metres from the pitch at the Nou Camp that gave him his finest moment, the Champions League triumph of 1999, Beckham inevitably reflected on his diverse career that took him from United, including a loan at Preston, to Real Madrid to LA Galaxy, a spell at AC Milan, and now PSG. It has been some journey.
‘‘ For someone like Ryan Giggs to stay at Manchester United for the time he’s had and play at the top level as he has is really incredible,’’ Beckham said. ‘‘ It shows a huge amount of loyalty to clubs. Not every player can do that. I left. I went on to play for another of the biggest clubs in the world, and then some other clubs that are pretty big in Europe as well. I’ve enjoyed the experience. I wouldn’t have done it any other way.
‘‘ Looking back, to have played with the players I’ve played with [ such as Eric Cantona, Zinedine Zidane and the Brazilian Ronaldo] and the teams I’ve played with, also learning from the games from different countries, I’m proud of that.’’ Chelsea stumbled into the semifinals of the Europa League yesterday, despite losing to Rubin Kazan, and Basel beat Tottenham in a penalty shootout to also reach the last four.
Fenerbahce and Benfica were the other teams to advance in Europe’s second- tier competition after holding on for 1- 1 draws at Lazio and Newcastle, respectively, in their quarterfinal second legs.
Chelsea lost 3- 2 in Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium, the scene of its defeat to Manchester United in the 2008 Champions League final, but progressed 5- 4 on aggregate to once again fly the flag for England in Europe, the season after first becoming European champions.
The London club appeared to be cruising after well- taken goals by Fernando Torres and Victor Moses gave them a 2- 1 lead after 55 minutes and a 5- 2 aggregate cushion. However, sloppy defending gifted goals to Gokdeniz Karadeniz and Bebras Natcho, and Chelsea were on the ropes in the final 15 minutes.
‘‘ It was a pity to lose the game but we went through and that’s the main thing,’’ said Chelsea’s interim manager Rafa Benitez, whose team reached its third semifinal after the FA Cup and League Cup in England.
They stayed on course to become only the fourth side to win all three of UEFA’s major club competitions — the European Cup/ Champions League, European Cup Winners’ Cup and UEFA Cup/ Europa League — with Juventus, Ajax and Bayern Munich.
While Chelsea are no strangers to European semifinals, the same cannot be said of Basel and Fenerbahce, who are both in uncharted territory.
Tom Huddlestone and Emmanuel Adebayor failed to match Basel’s precision from the spot as Spurs were thrashed in the shootout 4- 1, having scored late through Clint Dempsey to make it 2- 2 and take the game into extra time.
They played the extra 30 minutes with 10 men after Jan Vertonghen’s sending- off in second- half injury time but held on to force penalties with an aggregate score of 4- 4.
An empty stadium was the background to Fenerbahce’s biggest result in Europe, with Caner Erkin’s powerful equaliser in the 73rd minute ending any hopes Lazio had of a comeback after Senad Lulic cut the Italians’ aggregate deficit to 2- 1 in the 60th.
Benfica could only breathe easy after an injury- time goal by Eduardo Salvio, with Newcastle piling on the pressure in a one- sided second half and gaining their reward through Papiss Cisse’s header in the 71st.
That made it 2- 1 on aggregate but the hosts couldn’t turn dominance into more goals and were hit by a devastating Benfica counterattack.
‘‘ You have to respect the opposition, they are a superb side,’’ Newcastle manager Alan Pardew said of the unbeaten Portuguese league leaders. ‘‘ They have three or four players there that will be around in European football for 10 years.’’