Becks quits as England's skip

"I have lived the dream. I'm extremely proud to have worn the armband and been captain of England, for that I will always be grateful."

"Having been captain for 58 of my 95 caps, I feel the time is right to pass on the armband as we enter a new era under Steve McClaren."

With those words, David Beckham's time as captain for the English side came to an end. However, he made it clear that he is not retiring from international soccer as he does still hope to play for his nation.

Although his decision to step down seems easy to anyone who watched him play, he still deserves some respect for doing so. Now new coach Steve McClaren does not need to spend any time or energy on the matter. Instead, McClaren can get right to the matter of qualifying for Euro 2008.

Beckham might have disappointed on the pitch, but his actions today speak well to his character (although I'm sure many English fans would happily surrender some of that character for better play).

Now the talk turns to the new captain. Michael Owen has been vice captain for the team, but due to injury he will not be ready for the start of Euro qualifiers. With Owen out, the focus turns to John Terry and Steven Gerrard. Both are captains of their club teams (Chelsea and Liverpool) and both could bring the team back together after the disaster in Germany.