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ITN
Beckham content with minor role
Beckham content with minor role
David Beckham has reiterated he will not retire from international football once he has won his 100th England cap.Beckham should reach the milestone during the friendly against France in Paris on Wednesday but he may only appear as a substitute.Beckham said: "There are a lot of young players coming through, good players, and you have to accept sometimes that you're not going to start. But you'll accept anything if you're still part of the squad."Players have retired for England and other countries to prolong their club careers, but it's all about how you feel personally."I'm a very passionate person about playing for my country and I want that to continue as long as possible, whether I'm a squad player, a substitute or a player who comes on and takes a free-kick."If I can play at the highest level, I want to be a part of that still."Beckham is preparing for his first full season playing for LA Galaxy and he dismisses any suggestion that the low standard of football in America should prevent him from playing for England.He added: "No matter what people think about the standard over in America, it is higher than they think. In any case, it's not going to change me as a player or my game."I'm always going to be the same player, whether I'm playing in Spain, England or the USA. That won't change my game."I can switch from playing in the USA to playing on Wednesday against one of the best teams in the world in France and some of the best players in the world."© Independent Television News Limited 2008. All rights reserved.
ITN | March 25, 2008
