Lennon Takes Lead in Race to Replace Beckham

September 3, 2009

It’s now three years since David Beckham was dropped from the England squad but with just over nine months left until World Cup 2010 gets underway, Fabio Capello is still mulling over his replacement.

Over the next 10 days Aaron Lennon will be the latest person to audition for the role, as England take on Slovenia in a friendly, followed by Croatia in their latest World Cup qualifier. It’s not the first time that Lennon has been given a chance to impress but having enjoyed an excellent start to the season, he is now under extra pressure to prove that he has what it takes at international level.

The Tottenham star is just the latest in a string of right wingers to come into England contention but as of yet, nobody has proved to be up to the challenge. David Bentley promised so much but has so far failed to deliver, Ashley Young got on the wrong side of Capello after misbehaving on a trip to Russia and Shaun Wright-Phillips has so often flattered to deceive against the very best opposition.

Indeed the solution to this particular problem has become so elusive, that even David Beckham has auditioned for the role of the new David Beckham. While many are in favour of the former captain’s recall, most would prefer to see him on the bench and for good reason.

Beckham may still have ability in abundance but at 34 his physical attributes have inevitably diminished. Question marks also remain over the level of competition that he faces in Major League Soccer, with critics claiming that a permanent move to AC Milan needs to happen sooner rather than later, if he is to keep his place in the international set-up.

Fortunately for Capello, one thing he does have is room to experiment. Should England beat Croatia at Wembley, they will secure their place in South Africa with two matches to spare. With a number of friendlies also scheduled, the England boss will have plenty of opportunities to firm up his starting eleven in order to improve their international football betting odds.

So for Lennon, Young, Wright-Phillips, Beckham and anybody else that comes into the reckoning, it’s time to kick on and not look back. This race is entering it’s final furlong and everybody is in contention.

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