1966 And All That with Comet... No. 10: David Beckham vs Greece 2001
World Cup 2002 qualifying
Commeth the hour, commeth the man - David Beckham averted a Greek tragedy by bending in a late free-kick that took England to the 2002 World Cup...
Teddy Sheringham (68)
David Beckham (93+)
Angelos Charisteas (36)
Demis Nikolaidis (69)
World Cup 2002 qualifying,
October 6, 2001
Old Trafford, Manchester,
Referee: Dick Jol (Netherlands),
Att: 66,009
Despite only needing a draw from their final qualifying game, England found themselves trailing 2-1 to Greece deep inside injury-time and appeared destined for a difficult play-off against Ukraine.
Then, in the 94th minute of the match, David Beckham stepped up to curl in a spectacular free-kick for an all-important equaliser - just as news filtered through that Germany had failed to win the group's other decisive game thereby guaranteeing England's place at the World Cup.
It was an amazing climax to a tense game and, even in a career full of highlights, this will be remembered as David Beckham's defining moment for England.
Key Figures
David Beckham
As captain, Beckham almost single-handedly dragged England to the World Cup with his most committed performance in an England shirt. He ran himself into the ground all afternoon and, despite missing with five other free-kicks, still had the conviction to score the goal that secured England's qualification.
Teddy Sheringham
Sheringham made a dream return to Old Trafford, where he had played for Manchester United. He came on as a substitute for Robbie Fowler and immediately equalised with this first touch - although celebrations were short-lived with the Greeks taking the lead again a minute later. Sheringham also won the foul that led to Beckham's free-kick.
Antonis Nikopolidis
The Greek goalkeeper had been outstanding all afternoon and perhaps deserved to be on a winning team. He saved smartly in a one-on-one situation with Andy Cole and kept out several of Beckham's free-kicks until the fatal blow was landed in the last seconds of the game.
Did You Know...?
Teddy Sheringham's equaliser remains the fastest ever goal scored by an England substitute, coming just 10 seconds after his introduction.
Since Beckham had been struggling with free-kicks, Sheringham had offered to take the final kick - fortunately, Beckham wanted it himself.
The referee for the match was Dick Jol, brother of former Tottenham boss Martin.
What Happened Next
A draw was enough for England to qualify automatically as group winners, ahead of Germany on goal difference. After returning from the previous World Cup as public enemy No. 1, Beckham was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
We want your help to grow the MirrorFootball.co.uk archive! Leave your comments about this piece of football history by clicking on the 'Your Memories' tab above. Tell us who or what you'd like to see covered in the MirrorFootball.co.uk archive by emailing archive@mirror.co.uk
(PDF2.5MB)
