"He sounded destroyed, completely destroyed. He must have known he would miss the World Cup, there was little anyone could say to console him. He didn't realise what happened at first, he heard a big shot, as if he had been shot by someone with a gun. It is such a shame, and you can imagine how he was feeling. There was little to say to make him feel better. Although we are still waiting to hear from the doctor on how the surgery went, we know from our experiences that, with this type of injury, the player will not be able to play for six to seven months, and that is for sure.

He was always going to be in the final 23,'' the insider said. ''He [David Beckham] would have been selected to go to the World Cup. In all probability, as things can change very quickly in football, so one can say in all probability he would have been in the 23.

No one is now thinking about the candidates to replace him, we have only just heard the news and that is all"