David Beckham

Beckham, who is England’s most capped outfield player with 115 appearances, has now recovered from the injury that forced him to miss the World Cup and has returned to action with club side LA Galaxy.

The 35-year-old has spent two separate loan spells with Italian giants AC Milan in the last two seasons but Beckham has distanced himself from a return to European football this season (AC Milan 15/8 to win the Serie A title).

“I don’t think so,” said the former England captain when asked if he had any plans to return to Europe on loan this season.

“I’ll never say never, but after my injury I need to really focus on getting my full fitness back.

“Physically I need to get myself back in order after a very long time out of the game. I can’t say for sure, but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Capello suggested Beckham’s England career was over earlier this year as the Italian boss intends to bring through a new generation ahead of the 2012 European Championships (England 1/7 to win qualifying Group G).

However, Beckham has not given up hope of pulling on an England shirt again, although he feels the manager is right to offer the younger players the chance to impress on the international stage.

He added: “Ever since I was a little kid all I ever wanted to do was to play for my country. Whether the road is over or not, I don’t really know, but I will continue to work hard to get my fitness right because that’s the important bit at the moment.

“Once I’ve done that, we’ll know more.

“I hope England continue to push on and keep bringing young players through; this is an important thing for the future of English football at international level.”

Capello faced somewhat of a backlash from the English public over the way he handled his announcement regarding Beckham’s future in the wake of the Three Lions’ dismal World Cup campaign.

The former Real Madrid boss told a press conference Beckham was no longer in his plans before he told the former Manchester United and Real midfielder his intentions.

Capello has since backtracked, to a degree, on his comments regarding Beckham and stated that the door is always open if a player impresses, regardless of age.

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Republic of Ireland

Reid has 22 caps for his country and made his debut in the 2-2 draw with Croatia in 2001 but has decdied to call it a day at international level in order to concentrate on his club form with newly-promoted West Brom  (West Brom 4/5 to be relegated from the Premier League next season).

“It was a tough decision because I’ve had some terrific times with Ireland,” said Reid who has recently signed a new two-year deal with the Baggies.

“But having weighed everything up, I know this is the right decision. The injuries I’ve had over the past couple of years have been well documented and I’ve taken this step to prolong my club career and to spend more time with my family.”

Reid was part of the Ireland squad that reached the knockout stages of the 2002 World Cup and his performances gained him a move to Premiership side Blackburn.

However, his stay at Ewood Park was blighted by injuries and Reid says that retiring from international football was a decision made in conjunction with his new club’s medical staff as he looks to make a fresh start at the Hawthorns.

“It’s a decision I came to after lengthy discussions with the club’s medical staff and my family. I’ve had some unforgettable times with Ireland, the highlight being making two appearances at the World Cup Finals in Japan and South Korea in 2002 and it has always been a huge honour for me to wear the Irish jersey.

“It’s just a shame my injuries cut short the number of caps I possibly could have won over the past few years.”

Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni said he was “sorry” about the news and thanked the midfilder for his contribution to the side in recent years.

“We are sorry to hear about Steven’s decision to retire from international football to concentrate on his club career at West Bromwich Albion.

“His commanding presence for the Republic of Ireland will be missed by his teammates and fans alike. Steven always showed tremendous commitment to the Irish jersey even during difficult times in his career and for that we thank him most warmly.”

He added: “On behalf of the Irish team, we wish Steven well for his future club career and we thank him for his outstanding commitment.”

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