Beckham presents England's 2018 cup bid

ZURICH, Switzerland, May 14 (UPI) -- England's soccer association employed star player David Beckham Friday to help present the country's bid to host the 2018 World Cup.

Beckham headed a delegation of British soccer executives in presenting England's pitch to FIFA, the International Federation of Association Football, in Zurich, Switzerland.

"Football runs through our veins," The Times of London quoted Beckham as saying. "We are all brought up on it. On behalf of our team, the delegation and our fans, we present you with our bid book."

It also was revealed the 35-year-old former England captain, who is out of this summer's tournament with a torn leg tendon, will accept a role on the national team's coaching staff.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter, who called England soccer's "motherland," said he had spoken the day before to new British Prime Minister David Cameron, who expressed his support for England's bid.

FIFA officials will make a technical inspection in late August with a final vote by the organization's executive committee set for Dec. 2. The Times said that review doomed England's 2006 bid, The Times said.

"I genuinely believe we present a low-risk option to FIFA" said Ian Riley, director of England's technical bid. "One of the biggest risk profiles of staging any major event is construction and we have a really good balance of existing stadiums and new builds and I think that alleviates any risk concerns that you may have."

England is up against bids from Russia, Spain/Portugal and Holland/Belgium.

Bidding for the 2022 World Cup are Australia, the United States, Qatar, Korea and Japan.