Beckham left out of England squad for Greece friendly (Roundup)

Aug 11, 2006, 15:31 GMT

London - England manager Steve McClaren showed he intends to do things his way when he left David Beckham out of his first squad, for the friendly match against Greece on August 16.

As expected, Beckham's name was absent from the list after McClaren decided to move the team forward after their disappointing quarter-final exit from the World Cup finals this summer.

'I told David I was looking to change things, looking to go in a different direction, and he wasn't included within that,' McClaren said.

Beckham's England career could well be over, but McClaren said he would always keep an open mind.

'I have great respect for David,' he said. 'He was a fantastic captain for England, a great player, and still is a great player.

'He took the news very well, although he was disappointed. I got the reaction I wanted, and the reaction was he would continue to fight for his place, and I will never close the door on that.'

Beckham, whose contract with Real Madrid is due to expire at the end of next season, stood down as captain after the World Cup finals.

After making his debut in a World Cup qualifying match against Moldova in September 1996, he took over the captaincy for a friendly against Italy in 2000 and then was given the role on a permanent basis under Sven-Goran Eriksson.

He has captained England 58 times.