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PREPARING SOUTH AFRICA FOR THE WORLD |
Former England captain David Beckham will be in England's 2010 World Cup squad providing he is fit and playing regularly. That's according to team manager Fabio Capello who says he will never over-look Beckham'star qualities'. One of world football's highest-profile players speaks to FIFA.com about the highs and lows he has experienced, his thoughts on current FIFA World Player of the Year Lionel Messi and his hopes for Africa's legacy post-2010.  David, you recently helped to launch adidas's Jabulani, the Official Match Ball for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ in Cape Town. Have you had a chance to practice with it yet - and what do you think of it? David Beckham: Yes, I had a chance to practise with it a few months ago. It's always nice to see adidas's ideas before everyone else does and I think it's great. The movement, the accuracy, the feel, the look of the ball is perfect - it's really for the World Cup. With 115 caps for England over the past 13 years - what changes have you noticed in international football during that time? There have been many changes over the years: the game has got faster, the technology has got better. You obviously see changes in the play in terms of tactics, the boots and balls, but football's all about development and change. Argentina now have a player in their ranks, Lionel Messi, who has recently been voted as the FIFA World Player of the Year. What are your thoughts about him? Without doubt, he's one of the best players I've played against and also one of the finest players I've ever seen. For a little player, he's so talented. He's the closest player to Maradona that you can get, and he even plays in a similar passionate way too. He's successful and a really good person as well. I'm sure he'll go on to be even more successful in the future. Who do you think will be the key man for England this year, and why? I think we've got many key players in our team: Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand - we've got players all the way through our team who are exceptional. We're lucky to have such a talented group of players. You're involved with a number of charity campaigns such as UNICEF and Malaria No More, which have huge links with Africa. What do you hope this FIFA World Cup will bring to South Africa and the African continent? Football changes lives. It changes people's attitudes and I think this World Cup will bring exposure to certain things. To some extent it already has. In Cape Town I visited a hospital where I met women and children with HIV - and that really touched me. So I hope that the battle against diseases like that will be in the public eye. The World Cup will also bring a lot of money to South Africa, which may help to regenerate certain parts of this country. more interviews... |
