Beckham backs England to qualify for Euro 2008

LONDON, Mar 30 (Reuters) Former captain David Beckham has backed England to qualify for Euro 2008 despite slipping to fourth in their group amid a wave of criticism for coach Steve McClaren.

Beckham, currently injured but axed by England since McClaren took charge after the World Cup, also made it clear he would jump at the chance to return to a side who trail Israel, Russia and leaders Croatia in Group E.

''Qualification is going to be very difficult, but I'm 100 percent behind these players and this team -- and I believe they will go all the way and they will qualify,'' he told the BBC.

''With the quality we've got in the team, we'll do it.'' Booed loudly by the travelling fans at halftime, England laboured to a 3-0 win over Andorra in Barcelona on Wednesday after two-goal Steven Gerrard broke the deadlock in the second half.

''It was an important win, we needed to get three points and we did that,'' Beckham told Reuters after picking up an award for Outstanding Contribution to British Sport late yesterday.

''I was proud to see the way the players were fighting...it wasn't an easy game, it wasn't an easy atmosphere. When you need a win, you need big players to come out and do it for you and we had that.'' Beckham, whose name was chanted by fans in Barcelona, has clearly not lost his desire to play for England, who face a qualifier in Estonia on June 6.

''I wanted to play for my country since I was a young boy and that's never going to change,'' said the Real Madrid midfielder.

''I am always going to have that passion.

''Whether I play for England again, we'll see, but the passion will always be there.'' Reuters SAM RN1748