David Beckham has resigned as captain of England following the national team's failure to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup in Germany. He'd been captain for almost six years and in a statement he said it was time for someone else to lead the team. This report from Harry Peart:

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By his own standards he's had a poor World Cup and even his trademark free kicks and corner kicks have been wayward. Pressure has been mounting for him to step aside and his retention as captain has been linked to his close ties with the coach, Sven Goran Eriksson.

But with the Swede now stepping down, Beckham has felt it time to resign his captaincy but he stressed that he wanted to continue to play for the team and help the new manager Steve McClaren and the new captain. Steve Gerrard and John Terry are favourites to take over the role.

Harry Peart, BBC, Berlin

Listen to the words

a privilege
an honour, a special right

appearances
here, taking part in matches

to step down
to resign, to stop doing the job

By his own standards
according to his ability to perform

trademark
distinctive, characteristic

wayward
not good, freakish

mounting
increasing, growing bigger

to step aside
to resign, to stop doing the job

retention
remaining, continuing to be

ties
links, connections

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