NEWS
SCHEDULES
COLUMNS
PREVIOUS TOURS
OTHER SPORTS
STATISTICS
INTERVIEWS
SLIDE SHOW
ARCHIVES

Twinkling stars

Of the many football stars England has today, probably few can raise the temperature in a discussion more than David Beckham. No one can doubt his ability. In the many years since he joined Manchester United, and played for England, he has developed his game and now is considered one of the best crossers in European football - some will argue that he is the best.

But there is no denying the fact that his temperament can be suspect, and was never more so than when he earned himself a red card in the game against Argentina during the 1998 World Cup in France, and was blamed by many in England for an early exit in the competition.

What makes a talented footballer like him snap like that? Perhaps he has too much. He has a large following of fans, both for his looks and his talent. He plays for probably the most famous club in the world. He is praised for his game and he is married to one of the Spice Girls. So here you have, one of the most famous English footballers married to one of the members of one of the world's most famous bands. The combination can be lethal. Wherever they go, they are followed. Whatever they buy, it is discussed in detail in the tabloids. Where they go to dinner, interests the fans. Every day there are photographs of them, their cars, their house, their baby. Even Beckham's somewhat eccentric style of dressing is common knowledge, and openly discussed in the radio, the television and the papers.

So perhaps it is not surprising that, when something does not go as he would wants on the pitch, he lashes out. Perhaps not surprising, but nonetheless it is condemnable. He should not forget that, when he puts on the red shirt, he is representing his famous club, and when he dons the English stripe, he represents a whole country.

When he gets a red card, everyone in England suffers with him. When you are adored by millions, you must remember that they expect the best from you, and they expect you to deliver. Until such time as he understands this, and corrects this flaw in his game, people will still argue and he is in danger of being remembered for his bad behaviour on the ground and not for his great play.

Having said this, his reply to the notoriety earned in France in summer 1998, was to return to England, and play one of his best seasons with United, helping them to win the treble. Apart from his great ability to cross the ball, he is also well known for his fantastic free kicks from set pieces. He has been known to score from 35/40 yards outside the box. He also had quite a good discipline record for the season with 6 yellow cards, and no red ones He then went and spoilt it by getting sent off again in Brazil.

At 24, he still has time to finish maturing and having a young son can help in this process. He is going to be at centre stage again this summer when he plays for England in the European Cup - let us hope that this time he can avoid being remembered for a sending off instead of for his crosses and goals.

Another player that became a household name during the World Cup was Michael Owen. Until Liverpool was forced to bring him out of the reserve team into the first team due to injuries, he had led a quiet existence patiently going through the normal youth development scheme at Liverpool. The manager of the youth team was aware of his potential, but he was thought too young until necessity changed things.

And what a revelation he turned out to be. His lightning speed, his ability to play though defenders, and his unerring eye for scoring goals more or less forced Glenn Hoddle - then the manager for England - to name him in his squad.

Again, come the World Cup stage, he was considered too young and inexperienced to play - he was still only 18 at the time. But other strikers were not on form, and the captain Shearer asked for him to play alongside. And play he did. Who can forget the goal scored against Argentina - it was a true classic and typical of the type of goal he has become famous for.

He returned to Liverpool and in the season 1998/99 won the Golden Boot award, scoring two hat-tricks on the way. His season was cut short due to a hamstring injury in April - an injury from which he has not really recovered from.

Everyone has their own idea as to the reason for this: the wrong therapy, the wrong expert, too many games, starting too early after injury. It could one of those, or a combination or all. It is true that he played non-stop for two years, including the World Cup, with no breaks - and this for a man so young could be too much. All we can do is wait and see and hope that the damage is not permanent and that he is available for England in their quest for European glory this summer.

Michael Owen is an example of what a good youth development scheme can achieve. He is not the only one, although perhaps the most well known in recent time as he was catapulted into fame in a world setting for all to see.

This year there is another young Liverpool player, again from the youth team, making it. It is Steven Gerrard, aged 19.

He made his debut in the first team last season but struggled to adapt to the faster pace of the first team. However, things are different this year. With pre season training he has become one of the young men to watch in the midfield. Even Kevin Keegan has been visiting Anfield to see him. He is showing great versatility, although he prefers to play in central midfield, which is where he shines. He has good ball technique, loves to tackle and does not shy away from doing so.

Who knows, maybe Keegan will choose Gerrard as one of the favoured few to join the squad, proving yet again the importance of youth development schemes and the benefits they can offer not only their club's first team, but also their country.

(Gameplan)