McClaren Considers Beckham Recall

• ESPN Soccernet, Wednesday, February 21, 2007 3:53 PM

England manager Steve McClaren was at the Santiago Bernabeu Tuesday night to watch Owen Hargreaves and Bayern Munich face a resurgent David Beckham and Real Madrid. Beckham, starting his third game in a row since being recalled to the Madrid first team, capped another superb performance by setting up each of Real's three goals in a thrilling 3-2 win over the German team.

McClaren conceded that the former England captain's impressive form in his last three games has caused him to seriously consider recalling him for the March 24 clash against Israel in Tel Aviv. "It gives me a problem, one of the problems you welcome," McClaren said of Beckham's return to form. "It's pleasing to see that a month ago he would never play for Real Madrid again and there he is starring in a game against Bayern Munich and being man of the match."

Shortly after Beckham's announcement that he had signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy, Madrid coach Fabio Capello pronounced his Real Madrid career over. Facing mounting pressure from the press and fans, Capello relented. Since then, the player has been hailed in the Spanish press as having "saved his executioner," playing a crucial role in each of Madrid's five goals in its last three games-the team's best scoring record since last year.

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