STEVE McClaren's appointment as England manager was not met with general enthusiasm.

Did he have enough experience after his time at Middlesbrough? Was he blessed with enough flair? Would he be bold enough to break free from his long association with the much-maligned Sven Goran-Eriksson?

Well, the doubters may well be thinking again this morning after McClaren dropped David Beckham from his first squad in a clear statement of intent that he will not hide from tough decisions.

For all the criticism he has received over the years, we believe Beckham has been a credit to his country since crucially learning from his mistake when he was sent off against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup.

In amassing 94 caps, he has been a player to be proud of, the scorer of crucial goals, and a strong ambassador for England.

His dignified reaction to what must have been a huge disappointment in being left out of the England squad typifies his strength of character and we applaud him for it.

But we also believe that McClaren is right to begin his reign by telling the former captain that it is time to move on. At 31, Beckham is simply past his best and one of Eriksson's problems was his failure to recognise that fact.

England's new manager has a long way to go and plenty of hurdles to overcome. But he has made a bold, bright start.