Recovering Becks ‘like a kid with a new toy’

DAVID BECKHAM is like a "kid with a new toy" as he aims to make the most of his World Cup reprieve by proving himself on the biggest stage of all, England assistant coach Steve McClaren has revealed.

Beckham may recently have been shortlisted for the world player of the year award but he knows that only by producing his best in the World Cup will he ever achieve lasting acclaim.

That is part of the reason Pele and Diego Maradona are a class apart from George Best and why Geoff Hurst is a national hero compared to Jimmy Greaves.

At least Beckham now has the opportunity to seize his chance, while Manchester United team-mate Roy Keane has spurned his own best opportunity and Ryan Giggs will never even have such an opening.

McClaren is convinced that, especially having shown the strength of character to come through the adversity of his 1998 red card against Argentina, Beckham will make the most of his.

The former United assistant coach declared: "David is a big-time player. He’s already captain of England and no-one has more determination to prove himself on the biggest stage than him.

"That’s where he wants to be, where he wants to prove he’s a world-class player and where he’s got to produce."

McClaren did not want to get drawn into the debate over Keane flying home from the Ireland squad, but feels the tournament will be poorer without him.

"You want to see the top players at the World Cup and Roy Keane’s a top player," said McClaren, the Middlesbrough boss.

"He will be missed by the Irish, I’m sure, as he’s very influential."

Beckham almost suffered the same fate due to his fractured foot, although, now fit again, he is bursting with the kind of infectious energy and determination that inevitably spreads to the whole squad.

He completed all of yesterday’s training session, taking tackles and "not holding back". Indeed, he had to be pulled out of the second-half of yesterday’s work-out to prevent him from being burned out.

"He’s like a kid with a new toy," revealed McClaren, who added that Kieron Dyer was making "great progress" in his own recovery from injury.

"David has a beaming smile and that has rubbed off on the rest of the squad.

"There’s been a growing intensity and focus since he’s come back into training."

Having been unfairly singled out for blame in some quarters for England’s World Cup exit in 1998, Beckham has already shown immense strength of character in the past four years.

While others would have crumbled in the face of such criticism, he has responded by completing the journey from national villain to hero.

Beckham may not yet be match-fit, given that his injury occurred seven weeks ago, although the England staff are not overly perturbed by that.

"I know David very well and I’ve seen him come back from injuries with very little training and this has been no different," maintained McClaren.