I PHONED David Beckham on the morning my England squad was announced to tell him I was going to make him captain for this game against Italy.
The call was short and sweet and I don’t know whether Steve McClaren — who was the England assistant and at Manchester United at that time — had tipped him off to expect my call.
But it remains one of the best phone conversations I have made in my 55-year football career.
The only pity is FaceTime wasn’t around at that time to see his response.
I was so proud to watch and read about David’s knighthood at Buckingham Palace.
Whatever David has done in his life has been a success and always to the best of his ability… and it’s not just because he is now a ‘Sir’.
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I was asked to take charge of the England team in 2000 for this one game in Turin by the FA’s chief executive Adam Crozier before Sven-Goran Eriksson stepped in.
I was told I had a free hand to select my own squad.
There was talk that Sven was involved but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
It was typical of the sort of gentleman Sven was. He told me it was completely up to me and he wouldn’t be involved at all until he took over officially.
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Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn 2 – all the info
TIME for round two of this generation’s family feud!
Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn go punch-for-punch once again as both rivals look to make their fathers proud.
The blockbuster rematch takes place at the 62,000-seater Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, November 15.
Eubank Jr narrowly outpointed his bitter foe after 12 brutal rounds in April to secure the bragging rights in what was certainly a Fight of the Year contender.
And the two British superstars will dance once more as Eubank Jr aims to do the double while Benn seeks revenge after suffering a first career loss.
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I wanted to pick a younger squad and David was the perfect fit to lead that side.
I had been impressed with how he conducted himself after the fallout from his red card against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup Finals.
He was slated by arguably every other club fan apart from those who support Manchester United following that sending-off, yet ended up helping United to the Treble nine months later.
I still maintain the referee made a mistake during that last-16 match. It was a yellow card, never a red.
But the way he answered his critics was an example to any young footballer. I also believe making him captain elevated him.
During my playing days I remember being given the captaincy for a short time at Crystal Palace and it really affected my game — but Becks embraced the role.
It was no surprise to me he went on to wear the Three Lions armband another 58 times. He was a natural.
My only sadness was that the ‘Golden Generation’ he led never won any silverware.
However, I would like to think that the young squad I selected 25 years ago has become a regular feature for England managers since.
Since the turn of the century, Gareth Southgate and Co have not been scared to bring in youngsters and we’re thriving in this area compared to many other nations.
I am so grateful that I was able to manage England for one game. It was the greatest honour.
It would have been nice to have won the game against Italy, but we were beaten by a great Gennaro Gattuso goal.
Even then, the Hungarian ref Sandor Puhl missed a couple of clear-cut penalties when Emile Heskey had been brought down.
I enjoyed the whole experience.
The fact it was a friendly with nothing riding on it meant I was relaxed and could enjoy working with an exceptional group of players.
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Just like Becks, I was just a normal kid who fell head over heels in love with football.
To get this unbelievable opportunity to be manager was a truly humbling experience I will forever treasure.
