Becham warns of Yorke threat

David Beckham has warned England that veteran Trinidad and Tobago striker Dwight Yorke is still a potent force as the two former Manchester United players prepare to lock horns in Thursday’s World Cup clash in Nuremberg.

Beckham knows first hand of Yorke’s qualities as the pair played a major role in helping Sir Alex Ferguson’s side win the treble of Champions League, Premiership and FA Cup in 1999.

He formed a deadly partnership alongside Andy Cole before leaving Old Trafford to have spells with Blackburn and Birmingham before heading Down Under to play for Sydney FC.

But 34-year-old Yorke, who now operates in midfield for his country, admits he has found a new lease of life since being persuaded to come out of international retirement and is relishing the chance to play on football’s biggest stage in the twilight of his career.

Beckham said, “Dwight Yorke is still a force and being the person he is, he’d love to put one over England. I haven’t seen him play for a while but, for me, he was one of the best strikers.

“Dwight and Andy Cole formed one of the best strike partnerships in their time at Old Trafford that I have played with over so many years.

“We won Premierships, FA Cups and the European Cup and Yorkey was a huge, huge part of the team in that year (1999).

“He is a good friend of mine and he is one those people who, whatever happens to him in his life and his career, has always got a smile on his face.

“He is always happy and it is nice to be like that. He is a great person.

“I know he was training with United, keeping himself fit, at the end of last season. Hopefully he is not too fit and he is getting on a bit now — but he is still a player we will have to be careful of.

“He is their star player and all of their players look up to him because of what he achieved outside of his country at Aston Villa and then United.”

Beckham admitted he tried to be a calming influence against Paraguay on Saturday for Peter Crouch, who was yellow-carded as he became increasingly frustrated at being pulled up by the referee for a string of innocuous-looking challenges.

He said, “You have to do that. As captain you have to notice things like that which happen on the pitch.

“I think I just said to Crouchy ‘you don’t have to put your arms up to jump because no-one is going to outjump you’. That is what the referee was seeing all through the game.

“Crouchy is a great player and has done well. He did well against Paraguay. But there are situations where I have to try and calm players down. Sometimes it is me! That’s the way it is in games.”

There has been much criticism of England’s performance against Paraguay — and in particular Michael Owen — but Beckham is confident the team and the Newcastle player will produce the goods.

He said, “If you listen to every bit of criticism as a player its going to affect you — and you can’t let that happen. “As for Michael, he’s got his fitness levels back up and he will come good. Michael always does come good in the major tournaments.”

Meanwhile, yesterday Dwight Yorke told BBC that Saturday’s result ranks among the finest of his career. And he said, Leo Beenhakker’s team hope they can create an even bigger shock against England at the Franken-Stadion in Nuremberg tomorrrow.

“I would say there is confidence there now,” Soca Warriors captain and former Manchester United star Dwight Yorke told BBC Sport.

“We needed a big performance against Sweden and went out and showed a lot of courage.

“I did not know that my players had such fantastic character. That is a game that five years ago we would probably have lost.”