Beckham will captain England in the opening game of our Euro 2004 campaign at the Stadium of Light with the cheers of a nation ringing in his ears.

Thousands of England fans will be packed into the famous old ground, but millions more will be cheering from home or from pubs and bars across the country.

It's a scenario that Beckham has experienced before, most recently during the World Cup Finals in Japan. But he admits he will still feel a glowing sense of pride when he strides boldly onto the field against France.

He said: "Putting the shirt on is one of the best feelings in the world. Walking out as England captain, leading this team into a competition is one of the best feelings in football. To be England captain with 10 players behind you who you would trust with your life. It's special, and that's even without seeing the 50,000 fans we have coming over to cheers us.

"I think the patriotism that is shown in our country is amazing and I don't see that anywhere else in the world. The only other country that comes close is America because when you go there and things happen people come together and there are flags outside every house.

"But if you come to England during Euro 2004 you will never see anywhere like it in the world. It makes me very proud."

As captain, it will be Beckham's job to rally the troops before kick-off tonight, perhaps to give a last-gasp teamtalk and ensure every player is ready for action.

But the Real Madrid midfielder believes no-one will need pumping up for a match that has been the talk of the football world ever since the draw for the Euro 2004 finals was made.

Beckham said: "If anything you try and keep the excitement down because - as all fans know - leading up to a big game like this people get so excited. You get quite emotional about the whole thing. You have to keep the players eager and ready to go out there but not let it get too much as you wait until that whistle goes.

"You are bound to daydream. It goes through every footballer's mind about curling one in the top corner before a big match and running off and celebrating. You wouldn't be normal if it didn't. But we have to focus I think the players just want to get out there and get this game started. We've been together for over two weeks and we just want to go out there and win the game."

That's the kind of spirit England Head Coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has called for. He wants his team to be calm, measured and focused - but also determined to clinch victory.

The prize, of course, is huge. The chance to become the first England team since 1966 to win a major trophy, and the chance to follow in the footsteps of England's rugby heroes, who lifted the nation by winning the World Cup last year.

Beckham is well aware of how much the tournament means to fans back home, and he says there is a steely determination amongst the players to bring back a trophy and enjoy a victory parade of their own.

He said: "It's amazing that we haven't won anything in those years since 1966 because the Premiership is one of the best leagues in the world and has great players. We have always had great teams and we have always said the potential is there and this could be our year. Well hopefully this WILL be our year. We definitely need to win something pretty quick because out of all the players and the people behind us it is the fans who deserve it more than anything else."

If Beckham can lead England to ultimate glory his name will go down in history alongside that of Bobby Moore as the only English captain to lift a major international trophy. So not surprisingly he says it would probably be the biggest moment of what has already been an eventful career.

He said: "Winning the treble with Manchester United has been the highlight of my career so far. That year was pretty amazing. I've been a lucky footballer to have so many achievements in 10 years. To pick one is very hard. Scoring the goal against Greece was a big thing for me and scoring the goal against Argentina was probably even bigger, after everthing that had gone on in the previous four years.

"But winning the European Championship would top it all, I think. It would definitely be up there with and until I do it I can't tell you for certain!

"Someone asked me before would I be a failure in my eyes if I ended my career without a trophy for England. Of course I said no because I have a lot of achivements in my career. But winning something with England would still crown the whole thing off.

"But it's not just about me. The best thing about this team now is that we have so many captains. I think we've got players out there with a lot to say like Sol Campbel and Gary Neville - and Steven Gerrard who is going to be a great captain one day and already is with Liverpool. To have players like that on the pitch helps all of us. It's why we all believe we can do something special in this tournament.

"This squad of players is different to anything I've been involved in with England. When I first came into the England team you had respect for the older players but there was a sort of divide as well. For me, these young players we have got came in and are not fazed by anyone. They are fearless and that's a great thing for our team. We have young players who love playing football and just want to win games."

Winning will certainly be the focus against France. Because Beckham insists that although a draw would probably suit both teams, neither side will be willing to settle for a point.

The truth is the team that clinches victory tonight will have a huge advantage in the Group B table and will be favourites to reach the quarter-finals. And from there it is only 180 minutes to the final of a European Championship.

No wonder Beckham feels so proud as he begins his pre-match preparations, and he can't help thinking back to 1998 when his sending-off against Argentina in the World Cup in France was the lowest point of his career.

"It feels like a long journey since then," he said. "It's been a long time. Even when I was given the captaincy I looked back and thought that three years before I was probably one of the most hated men in the country. To be given the captaincy pushed me on as a person and as a player. So now to go on and to win a competition would be amazing. It's been a long journey but I wouldn't swap it for anything."


12 June 2004  
Beckham Press Conference