© Reuters 2002

LONDON, Feb 10 (Reuters) - David Beckham says he never expected to become England captain but the midfielder thinks the responsibility has made him a better player.

Speaking in a Sky television documentary - "David Beckham Close-up" - on Sunday the Manchester United player said that becoming captain had helped lift his game to a new level.

"Before I got the captaincy I had played a lot for England but never probably to my full potential," he said. "It seems to have given me a new lease of life - which even I'm starting to realise now.

"I never saw myself as a captain. I had always hoped to be but I'm not the sort of person who goes out and shouts a lot.

"I just try to perform and work hard and I think that rubs off on other players - especially because England are such a young team."

Beckham was first given the captaincy by caretaker manager Peter Taylor for the friendly against Italy in November 2000, describing the honour as "the proudest moment of my career".

In that game, won 1-0 by the Italians, Beckham refused to respond to provocation from midfielder Gennaro Gattuso after the two clashed in Italy's penalty area and said it was an important moment in his career.

"Maybe that was a turning point, the way I reacted in that game - the fact that I didn't react and just walked away," said the player remembered for being sent off after kicking out at Diego Simeone when fouled by the Argentine in the 1998 World Cup.

PHENOMENAL PERFORMANCE
When Sven Goran Eriksson took over as England manager he had no hesitation in keeping Beckham as captain and his faith was repaid when the midfielder produced a phenomenal performance, topped by a last-minute goal, in the 2-2 draw with Greece that sent England to the World Cup finals in Korea and Japan.

"We had 15 or 20 minutes to try to get through so I went walkabout and tried a few things," Beckham said. "In that game I probably worked harder than I've ever worked in a game." Eriksson agreed: "He won it for us," he said.

"He deserved it because he pushed the team, especially in the second half." The quietly-spoken Swede says there is no need for the captain to be loud - if he leads by example. "The players have respect for him - as a footballer and a man - so he doesn't have to tell them he's the captain," Eriksson said.

Beckham, who is set to play for England in a friendly against the Netherlands on Wednesday, is now looking ahead to the World Cup finals.

"As a nation we need the England team to start doing well in the big competitions," he said. "We haven't had a lot of luck in the last 10 years but it definitely changed with the Greece match - and the chances Germany missed against Finland."

Germany could only draw 0-0 to finish behind England and were forced to beat Ukraine in a playoff to reach the finals.

"We have got a lot of individuals that make each other click and there's a nice atmosphere between the players so we are all looking forward to it," added Beckham.