SPAIN: SOCCER - MADRID PRESS CONFERENCE BY DAVID BECKHAM AND MICHAEL OWEN / BECKHAM DENIES THAT HE IS TO RETIRE FROM INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL AFTER THE 2006 WORLD CUP.
Record ID:
190184
SPAIN: SOCCER - MADRID PRESS CONFERENCE BY DAVID BECKHAM AND MICHAEL OWEN / BECKHAM DENIES THAT HE IS TO RETIRE FROM INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL AFTER THE 2006 WORLD CUP.
- Title: SPAIN: SOCCER - MADRID PRESS CONFERENCE BY DAVID BECKHAM AND MICHAEL OWEN / BECKHAM DENIES THAT HE IS TO RETIRE FROM INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL AFTER THE 2006 WORLD CUP.
- Date: 15th November 2004
- Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (NOVEMBER 15, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. DAVID BECKHAM ENTERS PRESS CONFERENCE 2. PRESS 3. SOUNDBITE (English) DAVID BECKHAM SAYING: "What I said is, which is what a number of people have said over the last few months and for a while now, is that this World Cup (2006) could possibly be my last World Cup. I hope it's not, I hope I keep going. "Today it's four years to the day since I was given the captaincy, so it's a special day for me today but also it will be a special day for me on Wednesday, but I'm not looking to retire, I want to keep on going as long as my legs will take me. If that means that I'll do another four years being captain and being part of the England squad then that's what I want to do." 4. PRESS 5. SOUNDBITE (English) DAVID BECKHAM SAYING: "I think as a youngster everyone dreams about playing for England and captaining England and I've been lucky enough to have done both of them, I want to carry on as long as I can. "I set a target for myself when I became an England player and when I became England captain, to get over 100 caps or even to get to 106 or 108 caps like Sir Bobby Charlton and Sir Bobby Moore. That's the target I've set myself so I want to carry on and complete that." 6. PRESS 7. SOUNDBITE (English) DAVID BECKHAM SAYING: "They've already said that, the doctors, the physios, the managers, you know we'd prefer if you didn't play the whole game but obviously that's down to Mr. Eriksson (SVEN-GORAN ERIKSSON, ENGLAND COACH)." 8. PRESS 9. SOUNDBITE (English) DAVID BECKHAM SAYING: "Obviously it is a friendly match but once you're out there on the pitch you want to win the game and even though it's a friendly we want to win the game. Yes it's a friendly but we still want to win the game." 10. BECKHAM LEAVES PRESS CONFERENCE 11. MICHAEL OWEN ENTERS PRESS CONFERENCE 12. SOUNDBITE (English) MICHAEL OWEN SAYING: "Our qualifying campaign has gone very well so far, we're in a nice position. Whatever happens on Wednesday that's the most important thing that we're sitting pretty in that group, hopefully in the new year we can press on and qualify for the World Cup. In the meantime these are great games to play in, two heavyweights playing in a fantastic stadium against one another, it should be a cracking game. If we play well and get a victory it will give us a massive amount of confidence." 13. PRESS 14. SOUNDBITE (English) MICHAEL OWEN SAYING: "I precisely moved into my house three days ago so I'm only just starting to get into a bit of a rhythm and to have a base to go home to and to have the family and everything else. I've been in a hotel for the first three months which was very difficult. "I'm beginning to get used to it, get used to everything about it really and everything's settling down. Once everything's settled down off the pitch I think you can be a bit more relaxed on the pitch." 15. PRESS CONFERENCE Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 30th November 2004 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: MADRID, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Reuters ID: LVA4PF8TV2O6XZZEH2SSNGYO52CI
- Story Text: David Beckham has denied reports that he plans to
retire from international soccer after the 2006 World Cup.
England captain David Beckham has denied reports
that he plans to retire from international soccer after the
2006 World Cup and says he wants to play for his country as
long as possible.
"I was asked if the next World Cup was going to be my
last and I said possibly it could be, but I hope it isn't,"
Beckham told a news conference in Madrid on Monday (November 15)
before Wednesday's friendly against Spain.
"I want to carry on playing for England as long as I
can and if that means playing after the World Cup then
great. I don't
want to retire from playing for my country because it's one
of the best honours I've ever been given in football.
"I set a target for myself when I got into the team and
when I was given the captaincy and that was to reach the
records of
Bobby Charlton and Bobby Moore, both of which were idols of
me and my dad."
Former Manchester United forward Bobby Charlton won 106
caps and England captain Bobby Moore won 108, to become the
two outfield players to make the most appearances for the
national side.
The 29-year-old Beckham has won 76 caps.
Beckham's Real Madrid team mate Michael Owen believes
that now he is more settled off the pitch, his performances
on the field will continue to improve.
After making a slow start to his career in Spain, the
former Liverpool striker has now hit form, scoring in the
6-1 win over Albacete on Sunday to make it six goals in
eight games for Real.
"I'm only just starting to get into a bit of a rhythm
and to have a base to go home to and to have the family and
everything else. I've been in a hotel for the first three
months which was very difficult," he said.
"I'm beginning to get used to it, get used to
everything about it really and everything's settling down.
Once everything's settled down off the pitch I think you
can be a bit more relaxed on the pitch."
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None