Why David Beckham deserves Olympic inclusion

Inevitable; the same old journalists who have snipped at David Beckham for his entire career have come out to moan about his potential inclusion in Stuart Pearce’s Olympic squad. Tired opinions, almost all of them predicated on jealousy or agenda.

These are the same people who rush to John Terry’s defence every time he kicks a dog, robs a small child, or burns a £50 note in the face of a homeless man.

Nobody deserves to be included in Great Britain’s squad more than Beckham does. Whenever the call comes from his country he responds, whether that be on the pitch or for ambassadorial qualities – remember, Beckham’s star-power was part of the original bid that brought the Olympics to London. How can there even be a debate about this; not only should the former England captain be included as an over-age player, he should be the first name down. Quite frankly, he’s earned it – and that’s not a phrase you use very often in the modern game.

Can you imagine if the demands on Beckham had been made of some of the current crop of England players? “Yeah, I’ll be part of the World Cup bid – for £100,000 an hour”

Great Britain’s participation in the football tournament is not going to be about winning, it’s about diplomacy. The squad which is assembled will be as much to do with managing the egos of the other home nations as it will be winning games – because if that wasn’t true, we’d be looking at an ‘England plus Gareth Bale’ situation. Inferior players from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be picked, and Stuart Pearce will have some variety of quota that needs filling.

Given that the squad isn’t really a meritocracy, how can the argument be made that Beckham is past his sell-by-date and not deserving of a place? It’s contradictory, our participation in this event is ceremonial, so why not give him the last dance that would mean so much.

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