LOS ANGELES, England, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- Soccer star David Beckham says he would still like to play for England.
"I didn't announce my international retirement because I want to play for England again," Beckham told the Daily Mirror in his first interview since being dropped by the national team. "I still want to reach that milestone of playing for England 100 times and help them win the European Championship. It's a target I set myself a long time ago and I won't give up now."
Beckham remains an international soccer star for Real Madrid. He said that Steve McClaren, the new manager of the England team, called him while he was en route to Los Angeles for a U.S. tour.
"He said that with moving on there come casualties and 'you are one of the casualties.' That was it, really," Beckham said. "He asked me how I wanted to deal with it."
Beckham denied rumors that he shouted or cried during the conversation.
He was the captain of the England team during this summer's World Cup competition in Germany.
