'Very surprised'

International Friendly
10.30pm (5.30pm local time), Sunday 1 June 2008
Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain
Live on BBC1

David Beckham admits that he was as surprised as anyone to be named as England's captain for the game with Trinidad and Tobago in Port of Spain on Sunday evening.

The LA Galaxy midfielder last captained the Three Lions in the World Cup game with Portugal almost two years ago, but Fabio Capello gave him the opportunity to lead out his country again and it is something that Beckham was only too pleased to do.

"I was very surprised," said Beckham.

"I wasn't expecting it but whenever you're asked to captain your country, it's an honour.

"It was very special, but I enjoyed it."

Beckham was also pleased with the way in which the Three Lions started the game so well, finding themselves two goals up with just 15 minutes on the clock.

“It was a comfortable performance, but we made it like that," he added. 

"We started well in the first 20 minutes. We pressed them high up the pitch and the manager was telling us what to do and to take it seriously.

“As much as it was a friendly and a centenary match, when you play against different teams from around the world they always want to beat England and we played some good football tonight.”

All attentions are now focused on the World Cup qualifying campaign, which begins in September and Beckham revealed that under the stewardship of Fabio Capello, everyone is united in their ultimate goal.

“It’s a very serious camp and a motivated camp," he revealed. 

"We realise whether we’ve got young or experienced players in the team, we have to be one team. Whether it is the 11 that start or the squad as a whole, we have to be as one.

“We have to have respect for each other and support each other going forward. We want to win something and we are looking forward to qualifers.”

The Teams

Trinidad and Tobago
1 Clayton Ince, 2 Kern Cupid (13 Kareem Smith, 46) 3 Ancil Farrier, 4 Makan Hislop, 6 Dennis Lawrence, 7 Carlos Edwards, 8 Khaleem Hyland (19 Dwight Yorke, 76) 9 Aurtis Whitley (c), 14 Stern John (24 Jerrol Forbes, 25) 17 Kenwyne Jones (10 Darryl Roberts, 11) (5 Osei Telesford, 46) 18 Keon Daniel (Kevaughhn Connell, 76)
Substitutes 11 Hayden Tinto, 15 Akeem Adams, 16 Anton Pierre, 21 Jan Michael Williams, 25 Keyeno Thomas, 26 Jamal Gay.

England
1 David James (12 Joe Hart, 46) 2 Glen Johnson, 3 Wayne Bridge (13 Stephen Warnock, 84) 4 Gareth Barry, 5 Rio Ferdinand (15 Phil Jagielka, 46) 6 Jonathan Woodgate, 7 David Beckham (c) (16 David Bentley, 46) 8 Stewart Downing (17 Ashley Young, 57)  9 Dean Ashton (19 Peter Crouch, 46) 10 Steven Gerrard, 11 Jermain Defoe (20 Theo Walcott, 69)
Substitutes 14 David Wheater, 18 Tom Huddlestone, 21 Gabriel Agbonlahor, 22 Joe Lewis

Officials
Referee Enrico Wijngaarde (Surinam)
Assistant referees Ramon Lousiville (Surinam) and Dion Inniss (Guyana)
Fourth Official Geoffrey Hospedales (Trinidad and Tobago)