David Beckham has put his backing firmly behind Wayne Rooney as the Manchester United and England hit-man finds himself under fire for the aggression he continues to show on the pitch.

 

The former United defender believes that the combative way in which Rooney conducts himself on the field contributes to his overall presence and would detract from other parts of his game were he to ’calm down’. 

"With Wayne Rooney you don't get the exceptional talent and player you have without that side of his game," said Beckham. "If you take that side out of his game, he becomes a different player, a different animal. You don't want to take that out of him.”

The former England captain wasn’t the only one to comment on Rooney’s dismissal at Craven Cottage over the weekend. England manager Fabio Capello was reported to have called Rooney a ‘crazy man’ albeit light-heartedly but the well-known dark side of one of the most prestigious talents in the English game will still concern Capello who has also seen red on the international stage at Euro 2006. However, Beckham is confident that those who have influence over the former Everton player can help him channel his frustrations between the white lines into positive and not negative actions. "He's got enough people around him, there isn't a stronger manager than Sir Alex Ferguson to look after him and also Fabio Capello. He has two managers who can get the best out of him and they do that."