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Business News/ Industry / Media/  Football World Cup: David Beckham backs England, Michael Owen for Argentina
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Football World Cup: David Beckham backs England, Michael Owen for Argentina

The young England squad is exciting, says Beckham

Michael Owen thinks Messi’s Argentina has a great chance due to the similar conditions in Brazil. Photo: ReutersPremium
Michael Owen thinks Messi’s Argentina has a great chance due to the similar conditions in Brazil. Photo: Reuters

Former captain David Beckham says he is “excited" by the young England squad which arrived in Brazil on Sunday ahead of the World Cup.

Speaking to a small group of reporters in Miami, Beckham said he was glad to see England manager Roy Hodgson opt for a young squad and believes there is no danger of them being overawed by the World Cup.

“There are some really good young players in the England squad and the fact that Roy has gone for that group makes it exciting. We’ve got the experienced players in there as well," said Beckham who played 115 times for his country.

“I’ve heard people ask ‘will the young players be ready for a stage like this?’

“They are playing in the biggest league in the world week-in, week-out, I don’t see why they will go over there and be afraid.

“They are confident players, that is what you get with young players, the confidence—they won’t be scared to go out there and play," he said.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder, who is currently working towards a new Major League Soccer team in Miami, said he was particularly impressed by Southampton midfielder Adam Lallana.

“Lallana is a great talent, he plays with the flair of a kid who just goes out there and plays. The games I’ve seen him play in for England he has stepped into a role and clearly deserves to be here," said Beckham.

Daniel Sturridge has obviously had a great season and I think he is a talent that can hurt people.

“Hopefully Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain can recover from his injury, it doesn’t seem as bad as people thought at the time. He showed against Ecuador on Wednesday that he is the threat I think we need," he added.

“We have a strong team going into this tournament, once we get in there, settle down and hopefully get a good result against Italy we can hopefully push on from there."

Beckham’s former team-mate Wayne Rooney has yet to score in eight World Cup games for England and some have questioned whether he should be an automatic selection for Hodgson, but Beckham said he had full faith in the player he calls “Wazza".

“I always back Wazza because I think he is a great talent and a great player for England. He turns up and always gives everything for England and I think the fans realise that. It is about confidence, as with all strikers and the games I’ve seen of United this season, he was the shining light.

“He has always been more about just scoring goals. He is a goalscorer but he works hard for the team and that’s what his game has always been about.

“If he doesn’t score, he is assisting or creating or working hard for team. I think for opposing teams to see Wayne Rooney on a team sheet—that scares them," he said.

England kick-off their Group D campaign against Italy in Manaus on 14 June.

Owen for Argentina

Former England striker Michael Owen believes that the brilliance of Lionel Messi and the familiarity with the conditions in Brazil will help Argentina win the World Cup.

After a spectacular haul of trophies with Barcelona, Messi has a chance to lead Argentina to glory on the World Cup stage and build on his reputation as one of the all-time greats.

The four-times World Player of the Year has won a glittering array of club silverware and has established himself as one of the finest footballers to grace the game, but some believe he must win the World Cup before he can be hailed as a true great.

“They’ve got some fabulous players in (Angel) Di Maria and Messi, Higuain, and Aguero—lots of top-class players," Owen said.

“I know Brazil is next door but I think they are playing basically in their home conditions and I think that this is Messi’s time to shine on the world stage.

“Some people would argue that you can’t be considered the best player of all time unless you do win the World Cup but I’m sure that he will want to perform very well.

“He’s obviously one of the best, either the best or the second best player in the world at the moment."

Owen, who scored 40 goals in 89 games for England, made a dramatic impact as an 18-year-old at the 2002 World Cup finals with a stunning individual goal against Argentina.

He retired from football in 2013. Reuters

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Published: 10 Jun 2014, 12:12 AM IST
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