Aspire in the World Fellows Book - 2022

87 86 Star Chat You have played in three FIFA World Cups, the first Englishman to win League titles in four different countries. Three World Cups, quite an achievement: 1998, 2002, 2006. For you, what were some of the great memories you have of those tournaments? I’m sure you all enjoyed today, as much as I did. I meant what I said about Arsène being a rival of mine for many years, but he was someone that I had huge respect for as a manager, but more importantly as a person. To listen to him today I think was a true honor, and you learn so much from listening to someone with so much knowledge. Arsène, thank you for that. I’m very proud that I was able to represent my country in three World Cups. It would’ve been four, but unfortunately, I got injured. But I’ll take three. I always dreamt as a kid of representing England, I always wanted to play for Manchester United. I never dreamt that one day I would be able to play in a World Cup, but I never dreamt also that I would captain my country. It was always my dream to just play at Wembley for England. It was a huge moment for me. Obviously, in 1998, 2002, and 2006, it wasn’t always perfect. Everybody knows 1998 was a moment that challenged me in many ways. I started the tournament on a high, going into the tournament, and then missed the first couple of games. Then in the third game, I came into the game against Colombia and scored my first goal for England in a World Cup, on my mum’s birthday. So that was a big moment for me. I was obviously on a high, and then we’d go into the next game. We’re playing Argentina, and we were playing well, Michael Owen scores a great goal. Then I kicked Diego, made a big mistake and obviously got the red card. I think for the next four years, I had huge challenges on the pitch and off the pitch. I think we all like to be loved in the game and turning up for each game. Turning up for these games and getting a little bit of stick along the way was challenging. So that first World Cup for me was good and bad, but I look back on it now and I think that those are the moments that made me and made my character. I think if I hadn’t gone through something like that in 1998, maybe I would’ve been a different player, a different person. I wouldn’t have been as successful on the field with the teams that I played for if that hadn’t happened, so I took the positives out of that. 2002 was probably my proudest moment as an England player because it was my first time leading the England team as a captain into that tournament. In 2006, I say my proudest moment then was possibly scoring the goal against Ecuador that took us through to the quarter finals. So, playing in three World Cups, playing on the biggest stage, is a dream for any kid when you are very young. Those are the moments you dream of. I was very lucky to get to that point and play in those three World Cups. 1998 then wasn’t necessarily the most challenging one because they’ve all seemed to have different challenges. Despite that incident in 1998, you had such fond memories of the other things, the great things of the tournament. It’s impossible not to have fond memories of the World Cups. When you are a kid, when you love football as much as all we do, to go to a World Cup is something we all want, to watch these great players perform at the highest level, on the greatest stage with the excitement that comes with a World Cup. There’s nothing like it. That’s why it’s called the World Cup. It’s why every player, every fan, every manager, coach, wants to be part of the World Cup because there’s a no bigger stage. Of course, I have fond memories of every single moment. If you were to turn around to me and say, were there any moments that you regret? No, because I was playing on the biggest stage with my country and that for me, putting on The DavidBeckham