By IANS
Los Angeles : Former England captain David Beckham who was denied his 100th cap for the match against Switzerland has said that he “half expected” to be omitted from Fabio Capello’s first England squad and that he respected the Italian coach’s decision, English media reported Tuesday.
The Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder’s ambition to join the elite club of players who appeared for 100 matches for England was put on hold when Capello decided against including the 32-year-old for Wednesday’s friendly at Wembley.
Capello made the decision because of fears over the player’s match fitness, though Beckham has been keeping up his levels during the Major League Soccer close season by training with Premier League leaders Arsenal.
“It’s always disappointing when you’re not included in an England squad,” Beckham was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.
“The thing is I half expected it because I know what Fabio Capello is like as a manager and if he thinks you’re not fit and ready to play then you won’t be in the team,” he said.
Beckham has not played a competitive match since November and, while he has attempted to give himself every chance of being included by keeping up his fitness levels, Capello wanted to select players on merit rather than on sentimental value.
“I totally respect that and totally understand that,” Beckham said.
“There are a lot of Premiership players who have played 15 games in the last two months and I haven’t played a game since December – so to be called into the squad was probably unfair.”
Beckham, who was also dropped by Capello during his Real Madrid days, has been criticised for taking time out of his training at Arsenal to make trips to Africa and most notably South America where he was launching his soccer Academy.
Capello, however, has said that his decision was not affected by the widely published pictures of Beckham juggling a football on a Brazilian beach.
“I’d done everything I could to make myself available, I worked hard for a month with Arsenal,” Beckham said.
“I did go to Sierra Leone and Brazil, but those trips were only four days long and for the rest of the month I was training very hard.
“It’s simply down to not playing any games, the manager explained that, and I wish him and the rest of the players good luck for the first game.
“I think he’s a great appointment and he’s going to be good for the English game.”
The midfielder has struggled with injuries since his arrival in America last July but is hoping for a regular run-out this year to assist his team’s hopes of improving upon their fifth-place finish of last season.
“Hopefully, I’ll stay a lot more fit than I was last year. I’m just looking forward to this season. It’s a fresh start for us; it’s exciting”, he said.