Beckham dropped by McClaren

3:05pm Friday 11th August 2006

FORMER England skipper David Beckham has been dropped from new boss Steve McClaren's first England squad.

Also missing from the former Middlesbrough manager's 25-man selection for next Wednesday's friendly against Greece are David James and Sol Campbell, along with Wayne Rooney who is suspended from the first two Euro 2008 qualifiers.

Middlesbrough's Stewart Downing keeps his place and there are first call-ups for Dean Ashton and rookie Manchester United keeper Ben Foster. Jermain Defoe, Phil Neville, Wes Brown, Chris Kirkland, Luke Young, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Kieran Richardson are recalled.

Darren Bent, named in the under-21 squad, is also included but there is no place for Newcastle's Scott Parker.

England squad: Robinson (Tottenham), Kirkland (Liverpool), Foster (Man Utd); Bridge (Chelsea), Brown (Man Utd), Carragher (Liverpool), A Cole (Arsenal), Dawson (Tottenham), Ferdinand (Man Utd), G Neville (Man Utd), P Neville (Everton), Terry (capt, Chelsea), Young (Charlton); Downing (Middlesbrough), Gerrard (Liverpool), Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), Jenas (Tottenham), Lampard (Chelsea), Lennon (Tottenham), Richardson (Man Utd), Wright-Phillips (Chelsea); Ashton (West Ham), Bent (Charlton), Crouch (Liverpool), Defoe (Tottenham).