Wenger impressed by Beckham

Player impresses Arsenal boss

By Amanda Cornforth   Last updated: 1st February 2008

Arsene Wenger David Beckham

Wenger: amazed by Beckham

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Arsene Wenger admitted that he was amazed by David Beckham during his four-week training spell with Arsenal.

Beckham spent the month with the Gunners in a bid to retain his fitness following the finish of the Major League Soccer season with Los Angeles Galaxy.

Fitness

The 32-year-old has not played competitively since November when England lost to Croatia but trained with Arsenal in a bid to prove his fitness to coach Fabio Capello.

But Beckham was the major absentee from the first England squad announced by Capello on Thursday for next week's game against Switzerland, with the new coach citing his lack of match fitness as the reason behind his decision.

Wenger, however, said that he was impressed with Beckham.

"He worked with us for four weeks," he told Arsenal TV Online.

"We gave him the first two weeks exclusively on fitness work with (fitness coach) Tony Colbert.

"After (that) he was with us in and out but in the third week he was a lot with us and we were all amazed how good he was."

England

Wenger also believes that Beckham has what it takes to earn his 100th England cap and that he has the determination to prove he is worthy of a national call.

"I believe the English national team still needs Beckham because he can still make decisions and his experience will be needed in the big games and that is why I am sure he will get his 100th cap.

"This guy deserves a lot of credit, every day he was first out, last in and give him competitive games with LA Galaxy and he will fight for his 100th cap."