The Malaysian Insider :: Sports
The Malaysian Insider :: Sports |
| Beckham not in the top 1,000 players, says Waddle Posted: 17 May 2013 08:08 AM PDT LONDON, May 17 — David Beckham would not rank among the top 1,000 players of the last 40 years, former England winger Chris Waddle said today in comments at odds with glowing tributes to the retiring midfielder.
In a glittering career, the former England captain has become one of the world's best known and wealthiest footballers with a celebrity lifestyle and fame as a style and fashion superstar. "I would say he has been a good player, I wouldn't put him down as a great," Waddle, 52, told BBC radio. "You can go down a list of players from the Premier League or the 70s or 80s. I'll be honest, Beckham probably wouldn't be in the first 1,000. "I think there has been a lot more talented players in the world. But he made the most of what he has got." Waddle won 62 England caps in a career playing for Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Sheffield Wednesday and Olympique Marseille in France. He and Beckham did not overlap in the England team, with Waddle's last cap coming in 1991 and the then-Manchester United player making his senior international debut in 1996. The two men do share one England claim to fame, having both blazed a penalty over the bar in a major tournament shoot-out defeat. Waddle's ballooned effort came in the 1990 World Cup semi-final against Germany while Beckham sent his almost as high against Portugal in the Euro 2004 quarter-finals. English newspapers went to town on Beckham's impending retirement, with the best selling Sun tabloid putting him on today's front page as well as pages four, five, six, seven and most of the sports section. They also included a 12-page pullout celebrating his career. "End it like Beckham," was a widespread headline, alluding to a popular 2002 film 'Bend it Like Beckham' starring a young Keira Knightley. "He has got a terrific image and used it very well. He never had a trick, wasn't particularly quick, but he was very good at set-pieces and deliveries, he made chances and made goals and was fantastic for clubs," said Waddle. "He said the right things, he sold shirts, he put money in the tills wherever he went and conducted himself well." — Reuters |
| England collapse at gloomy Lord’s Posted: 17 May 2013 06:38 AM PDT
After Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow had survived the first hour and the second new ball, Root, Matt Prior, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann fell in quick succession to put New Zealand in control of the match. Bairstow watched the carnage from the other end under the floodlights at the home of cricket and he reached the interval unbeaten on 29 with Steven Finn on two. Root top"scored with 40 before flicking Tim Southee through to wicketkeeper BJ Watling and Prior was trapped lbw first ball by Southee. Broad fell lbw to Neil Wagner for nought and Swann, on five, edged Wagner to Watling. It was a dramatic collapse by England who had continued to bat with grim determination on the second morning after crawling to 160 for four on the opening day. Bairstow edged left"armer Trent Boult just short of third slip and survived a confident shout for lbw in the same over but he and his Yorkshire team mate Root looked generally comfortable. Runs were still hard to come by, however, and apart from two straight drives to the boundary by Bairstow and a clip through mid"wicket by Root the England batsmen were prepared to deal in singles and twos. Root became the first England batsman to reach 40 but his 114"ball innings ended when he edged a ball from Southee going down leg"side through to Watling. Prior, whose battling century secured a series draw for England on the final day of the recent third test against New Zealand in Auckland, was deceived by Southee's line and although Broad survived the hat"trick ball he was beaten by a full"length delivery in Wagner's next over. Swann drove loosely at Wagner to give Watling an easy catch, leaving England, the world's second"ranked team, in deep trouble against a side six places below them in the rankings. Wagner was the most successful New Zealand bowler with figures of three for 70 from 28 overs. — Reuters |
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