Sir Alex Ferguson revealed the England player who was in better shape than Ronaldo
England’s relationship with the World Cup has been defined, for the better part of six decades, by the arrival of misery in the most brutal fashion.
Three Lion fans endured it all.
There was a crazy time in Saint-Étienne. David Beckham, young and boring, drove Diego Simeone, ten men, to the last 16 and the nation opened its golden boy overnight.
Eight years later, Wayne Rooney saw red in Gelsenkirchen. Cristiano Ronaldo misses Portugal’s bench, another quarter-final, another morning shower and another summer of what could have been.
The 2010 World Cup brought a different kind of pain. Frank Lampard’s shot crashed over the bar against Germany – clearly, clearly over the line – and the referee waved the game off. England lost 4-1.
The pattern has always been painful, unrelenting and very English.
But there were moments of light. The story was not entirely dark.
Michael Owen’s finish against Argentina in 1998 – which brought him to the world stage – remains one of England’s greatest goals.
Steven Gerrard took England to the 2006 tournament with a hat-trick against Hungary that reminded everyone what this team could be.
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And perhaps the most famous of all – October 2001, Old Trafford. A nation holding its breath, Beckham stepped up, curled another corner against Greece and sent England to the World Cup.
A popular figure on and off the field, ‘Becks’ had a complicated relationship with international football, but remains one of the most influential faces in the sport’s history.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s fame is David Beckham
Few people understand Beckham better than Sir Alex Ferguson, the man who gave him his debut at Manchester United and made him one of the most respected footballers in the world.
The legendary manager saw first-hand what made him special, and for all the free-kick goals, whipped crosses and clever efforts from the half-way line, it was his work-rate that the Scot appreciated more than anything, speaking back in 2013 after Beckham retired.
“The one thing he always had was unbelievable toughness at a young age. He was a huge force in the team.
“He could run all day, and that allowed him to stay in the game at that level, playing for his country for 30 years. To come from American football to do that is really amazing, and he’s an amazing person.”
Ferguson managed some of the greatest players of his generation in over 25 years at Old Trafford.
He oversaw Eric Cantona’s transformation from revolutionary genius to Premier League icon. He formed the class of 1992, raising Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and the Neville brothers from youngsters to champions.
He won the Champions League with a team containing Peter Schmeichel, Roy Keane and Andy Cole.
Later came Ruud van Nistelrooy, Wayne Rooney and Ronaldo – a player whose strength and determination have become almost legendary.
Ferguson has worked with world-class talent for the better part of three decades, winning 13 Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues in the process.
To single out Beckham above all others tells you everything about the engine that drove one of England’s greatest footballers.
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