England's former captain and world superstar has been left dejected and disappointed after Great Britain neglected to choose him for their football events.


The move has come as quite a shock as Beckham had been integral to securing the bid for the Games to come to the UK back in 2005, with his role as a British sporting ambassador a major pulling point for the London bid.


Beckham had made Team GB head coach Stuart Pearce's shortlist of 35 but was not selected for the final 18-man pool as one of three players over the age of 23 allowed to compete. The non-selection has come as some surprise as Pearce even flew out to Los Angeles to see Beckham play, presumably to help him draw a final decision over the midfielder's conclusion. Pearce has instead selected Ryan Giggs, Craig Bellamy and Micah Richards for the mature contingent of his squad.

Beckham 37, said: "Everyone knows how much playing for my country has always meant to me. So I would have been honoured to have been part of this unique Team GB squad. Naturally I am very disappointed, but there will be no bigger supporter of the team than me. And like everyone, I will be hoping they can win the gold. As a Londoner, I will have been really proud to have played a small part in bringing the Olympics to my home town as part of Seb's team, and I can't wait for the games to begin and enjoy every moment along with the rest of Great Britain."

Beckham's shirt will not be worn on the field this summer
A typically honest and professional statement from the man. But aside from the obvious emotional and footballing concerns, there is a third factor to countenance - a financial one.

Beckham's biggest personal sponsor is Adidas, who are a major sponsor of the London 2012 games. The sporting brand has paid Beckham tens of millions every year since 2003, and would have been very hopeful indeed of him appearing for Team GB, his image beamed around the world, creating a marketing and branding opportunity like never before. Beckham had certainly been in the minds of Adidas executives, appearing in their Olympic TV ad and carrying the torch on its arrival to the UK.


With the German sporting giant paying £80million to be a exclusive Olympic partner, Beckham's appearance at the opening ceremony alone may not be enough to placate this missed marketing opportunity. Beckham himself however has dispelled this notion:

“I don’t want to be picked for shirt sales or as a stadium-filler, I want to be picked for what I can bring to the team. That has been the case throughout my career and I don’t want that to change.”

Whether Adidas feel quite the same, now that the face of their brand has been relegated to a sideline act, is uncertain.