Beckham's England agony

Privately, the Real Madrid star had resolved to relinquish the armband six months before travelling to Germany, but Beckham admitted that he was still unprepared for the emotional impact the decision had on him.

"Resigning the England captaincy was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do," Beckham told The Daily Mirror.

"I had decided six months earlier to quit but it got to me so much, I was physically sick afterwards

"I could have come out and said I was going to resign six months before the World Cup but I didn't want all the hype about 'who is going to be the next captain' and questions about whether I was focused enough to play.

"I had to get it into my head that this was the moment but it didn't matter how much I steeled myself, I still found it difficult to cope with the reality."

Beckham also admitted that it has "felt weird" watching all of England's games since the World Cup.

Steve McClaren has left Beckham out of every England squad since taking over from Sven Goran Eriksson, with the media in England having pretty much universally applauded McClaren's decision.

However, Beckham still feels he was signalled out for unfair criticism after the World Cup.

"I look back at the World Cup and think maybe I didn't play my best football, but I scored a goal and set-up three, and they were important goals. My statistics were pretty good," he said.

"I'm not kidding myself. I am not saying I had a great World Cup because I know I didn't play to my full potential, but I still did my share."

With Aaron Lennon out injured for England's next two European Championship qualifiers, there is once again a vacant place for a right midfielder in the England squad, but writing in The Sun, former England international Chris Waddle says that McClaren would be mad to recall Beckham.

"We all know that time has caught up with David Beckham - that's why I'm telling Steve McClaren not to turn back the clock by recalling him for England," he said.

England face Macedonia and Croatia in a double-header of Group E games next month, with Liverpool's uncapped winger Jermaine Pennant, and not Beckham, favourite to replace Lennon.