Samuel clamors for Becks cheerleading role

In his latest Daily Mail column, Martin Samuel calls for David Beckham to still board the plane to South Africa – even if it’s only as a “cheerleader.” Samuel believes Beckham’s involvement was never really for footballing reasons, and the injury won’t stop him from being a positive mental influence for some of the younger members of the Three Lions squad.

“So take him anyway. If the greatest worth David Beckham had to England was as mentor, ambassador, old head, voice of experience and arm round the shoulder of the younger players, then put him on the plane as just that,” wrote Samuel.

“He can no longer lead by example on the field but his most useful role for England had evolved beyond the diameters of the pitch,” continued Samuel. “Capello selected Beckham because he judged his influence to last longer than 90 minutes. He rated him the best professional in his squad, in the way he trained, the way he worked on his conditioning, his influence on the rest of the group.”

While the plan makes sense on paper, Beckham’s mere presence around Major League Soccer is also a consideration. Like Martin Samuel’s suggestion, the Los Angeles Galaxy signed Beckham for more than his on-pitch performances. The former England captain is a commercial asset for the team and the league, and as long as he finds himself sitting on benches across the country then fans will flock to see him in the flesh.

Bolton’s Stuart Holden, formerly of the Houston Dynamo, recently stressed Beckham’s importance to the league. “He brought a buzz to the game. When you think of the world’s most famous players, he’s probably right at the top of that list.

“His influence at the Galaxy was immense. He sold season tickets, merchandise and shirts when he first arrived, but didn’t really inspire many results on the field,” said Holden.

For now Beckham’s future remains uncertain, but you can be rest assured that we haven’t heard the last of David Beckham.

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