Beckham to help 'dumped' Walcott deal with despair

London, June 4(ANI): England footballer David Beckham has offered to help winger Theo Walcott to come to terms with being excluded from Fabio Capello's 23-man squad for the World Cup in South Africa.

Beckham has texted Walcott and told him to keep his chin up. He also plans a more in-depth phone chat over the next 10 days.

The 35-year-old feels a particular affection for Walcott, whom he took under his wing at the 2006 World Cup in Germany when he was skipper and Walcott was a star-struck 17-year-old, The Sun reports.

He is especially keen that Walcott realises he can still be a big part of England's Euro 2012 qualifying campaign and beyond.

Walcott had been a crucial member of Capello's team for World Cup qualifying rounds, and had enhanced his reputation when he struck a hat-trick against Croatia in 2008.

However, following injuries and a loss of form, Walcott was left out of the final 23, which was announced on Tuesday. (ANI)