So the final curtain is about about to close on the “so called Golden generation.” Scholes and Beckham have already taken their bow, but this begs a question. Who exactly is in the golden generation? Beckham, Scholes, Frank Lampard, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney?
David Beckham and England’s Golden Generation
No sooner had Beckham retired, all the news outlets were busy plastering his image everywhere, complete with misty eyes, old photos of his fashion sense, Tattoo’s, and of course the haircuts. Now, I have no problem with all that, but exactly what were we witnessing the end of? A well branded money making media circus or a top class player who would grace any of the greatest teams?
Just as the top managers, players, ex players, media pundits and even MP’s who you would have thought had better things to discuss in Parliament, eulogised over ‘old golden balls.’ It took a no nonsense Geordie, in Chris Waddle, to kick us in our cajones to get our football common sense into gear about David Beckham, claiming the former Manchester United and Real Madrid man isn’t even in the best 1,000 players to have played in the last 40 years.
Sour grapes, jealousy on Mr Waddle’s part or is he right. Where does Beckham stack up on the pantheon of great footballers in the last 40 years? After all he is considered as one of football’s royalty.
Beckham, easily makes a top 1000 players in Premier league history. However, would he make a top EPL top 20, a top 20 all time European players, Man UTD’s top ten, a British and Ireland top ten. And would he make the best England X1? I’ll leave the the readers to debate whether he makes any of those lists.
Beckham was a good professional, dedicated and was also a tough nut who belied his metro sexual image and whatever you think, his image gave the game a global appeal.
As the so called golden generation are all reaching the twilights of their careers, like Mr Beckham, were they all overrated. A product of the hype of the English media?
I’ll end on this note, out of the “Golden generation” only Ferdinand and possibly Scholes would have made a world X11. Makes you wonder.
