Football - England Players who should retire: David Beckham, Rio Ferdinand, Ledley King, Jamie Carragher, David James
Emile Heskey has announced his retirement from International football, and at 32, it appears to be a good decision, since it will be difficult for him to continue playing at a high level with a straining club campaign ahead of him.
After it was confirmed that Fabio Capello would remain incharge of the England team, he mentioned that for some of the players in the side, this would be it. Although Capello didn't name names, it is clear that Heskey was one of the players who would not have a future under him, after being very ordinary in the 2010 World Cup.
Heskey's retirement has led to questions about some of the other players in the current England set-up who should perhaps consider putting an end to their international career, so that young players can come through and England can finally move forward.
One player who may have to reassess his International future is David Beckham. The former England Captain has had a very illustrious career, both on the club and International level, but it seems now is the time to call it a day for England at least. The LA Galaxy man had been arranging loan deals in Europe in hopes of getting picked for the national side, but the strain he has put himself under meant that he got injured and ended up missing the World Cup. Even before the injury, Beckham was mostly used as a substitute, and it is perhaps time for him to let the younger players have a go at the right side of England's midfield.
The three centre backs, Rio Ferdinand, Ledley King and Jamie Carragher should also consider their International futures. Ferdinand was part of the World Cup squad, but an injury in training ruled him out of the tournament, and he was replaced in the squad by Dawson. Ferdinand came to the England camp after an injury-ravaged season, and it really was no surprise when his injury was announced to the public. It looks like it is time for the Manchester United defender to retire from International football and save what football he has left for his club.
Tottenham Captain Ledley King's injury problems are well documented. Before the World Cup, doubts were raised about his fitness, yet Fabio Capello stuck with him. However, unfortunately for the defender, he could only play a minor role as he suffered an injury in the first game of the competition. King's managed to play more games than usual for his club by playing only when his team needs him and not even training. Adding international games with England on top of that always appeared to be a badly judged decision, so he should try to concentrate on domestic matters and retire from International football.
Jamie Carragher came out of retirement to play in the World Cup, but his performances at the tournament were very poor, which means he is very unlikely to feature for his country again. Lacking in pace and not nearly as good a reader of the game as his partner, John Terry, Carragher had a very difficult time at the tournament, and it would be wise if he called it a day on his own and bow out respectfully.
England goalkeeper David James is another player who should now retire. Unlike the other players mentioned here, his form or injuries aren't the reason why he should retire; it is his age. Crossing the 40 year mark and still playing is an achievement in itself, but at the moment his presence in the England squad means that young players such as Joe Hart do not get the opportunity to play and thus, they are not selected when big tournaments come around.
It is difficult to say whether the young players in line to replace the ones mentioned here can perform to the level required; however, it would be unjust if they were never given the chance to do so. Since the European qualifiers are coming by, now is the best time to test out new players, because as we get closer to the tournament, it becomes difficult to weed out players who were responsible for the team's qualification in the first place. Hopefully, these players will put the team's interest before their own and not make Fabio Capello's job more difficult than it needs to be, and make these decisions on their own.
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