The Overlap: David Beckham believes 2022 Qatar World Cup being held in winter can benefit England | Football News

David Beckham believes a winter World Cup could be an advantage for England as he praised the current team for being “more than just footballers”.

Beckham played 115 times for England between 1996 and 2009, scoring 17 goals, and only Wayne Rooney and Peter Shilton have more caps for the Three Lions.

The 47-year-old represented England at three World Cups – 1998, 2002 and 2006 – and admitted they went into the tournaments exhausted after the end of a “gruelling” Premier League season.

Speaking to Gary Neville on his YouTube show The Overlap, the former England captain believes a winter edition of the competition could favour Gareth Southgate’s side, saying:

“For our team, I feel it [a World Cup in winter] is a huge opportunity. We never did use it [fatigue] as an excuse but, truth be told, we came to the end of a gruelling season in the Premier League, the toughest league in the world, and you are tired and you do want a rest, you don’t have that time to recover from a tough season.

“These players are coming into this tournament at a time when they are at their peak; they have had their rest, they are in the middle of the season, there is no reason or excuse for them not to be at the top of their games and at the top of their fitness.”

Beckham also revealed revealed how much he enjoys watching Southgate’s team, who reached the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and the Euro 2020 final.

“For our players, this is a real opportunity. We have a young team, an exciting team, a manager that has been with these players for a long time,” said Beckham.

“I really love watching this England team play; they’re exciting, they play with passion, they play like they want to be there, something you want to see as an England fan.

“For a moment there was a disconnect but, all of a sudden, our fans have come behind this team again, there is a connection, and Gareth has done an incredible job with that.”

England made a disappointing start in the Nations League by failing to win any of their four matches, including two defeats to Hungary, and scoring only one goal.

But the Three Lions will still be among the favourites to lift the World Cup in Qatar – an accolade that has not been attributed to an England side since 2004/06 when Beckham was captain – and acting as a force for good off the pitch.

“There is an excitement within this team. These players are more than just footballers,” said Beckham. “What I love about this generation of players, particularly in England, is with the power they have on the field they are trying to make change off the field.

“I see the work Marcus [Rashford] has done, I see the work Raheem [Sterling] and other players have done. The good they are doing outside the game is exceptional, really exceptional, because they are using their platform to be able to help other people and make change.

“The fact they are now helping other people and helping educate people into racism and other stuff that is going on and that they go through on social media or in everyday life, they are making change. That is why I love this group and generation of players.”