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Former captain’s injury opens door for younger talent

David Beckham’s Achilles injury, which will force him out of this summer’s World Cup in South Africa is a huge blow to the former England captain, but it is not necessarily a massive problem for the England squad as a whole.

Whilst Beckham deserves his place in the squad for South Africa, due to his past England performances, his withdrawal will vacate a spot for one of several talented young wingers to come in, who could arguably have much more impact on the tournament than the AC Milan midfielder.

Beckham has played eleven times for Milan this season, and although his delivery remains consistent, he has appeared a shadow of the player who helped Manchester United to the Champions League trophy in 1999, and Real Madrid to the La Liga title in 2007.

Then, Beckham was both a goal-scorer, and creator, yet this season, he has provided just one assist, and no goals for his club, and it is debatable what sort of impact, if any, he would provide in South Africa.

Instead, Fabio Capello can now call on one of a multitude of talented English wingers, who are all consistently performing well for their clubs in the Premier League, against defences which are of an equal to anything England will face at the World Cup in the summer.

Stewart Downing, in particular, has been a revelation since making his Aston Villa debut in December. The left-footed winger (something England don’t currently have in the squad) has already scored three times for his new club, and is developing into a more rounded player than the one which travelled to Germany in 2006.

His Villa Park team-mate, Ashley Young, is another player who deserves an opportunity on the biggest stage. His pace, and attacking verve frightens defenders, and his delivery is not far behind that of Beckham’s. Four goals and six assists this season suggests that the winger is capable of producing in the final third, and his versatility in attack could be useful from the substitutes bench.

A final contender to replace ‘Becks’ is the exciting youngster Adam Johnson. He has slotted comfortably into a Manchester City side full of international talent, and scored his first for his new side at the weekend. He may not be the finished article, but what England need are players who are on form, regardless of reputation, and the 22-year-old is certainly that.

Beckham is frequently singled out for praise due to his work-rate, but each of that trio, if given an opportunity by Fabio Capello, would undoubtedly work as hard as the AC Milan midfielder, but also provide more pace, guile and attacking impetus than Beckham, who has in the last few years come to rely solely on crosses from deep, which are much less threatening to a defender than a skilful player running at pace.

To Make England’s World Cup Squad (all prices from Ladbrokes.com)

Stewart Downing – 2/1
Ashley Young – 5/1
Adam Johnson – 5/1