Glenn Hoddle has insisted he helped David Beckham after his red card in the 1998 World Cup, rather than ‘throw him under the bus’.
Former England manager Hoddle was referenced in Beckham’s documentary ‘Beckham’ late last year as slamming the former Manchester United man on the back of his red card against Argentina.
The Three Lions icon lashed out at Argentina’s Diego Simeone, who by his own admission went down softly, in the 47th minute of the game, forcing England to play with 10 men for the remainder of the last-16 clash after being given his marching orders.
Having previously claimed the words didn’t bother him, Hoddle, speaking to Jeff Stelling on Football’s Greatest, talked down the accusations, coming mainly from Beckham’s wife Victoria and mother Sandra, insisting he in fact protected the midfielder.
Glenn Hoddle has denied he threw David Beckham ‘under the bus’ after his red card in the 1998 World Cup
Beckham (left) was given his marching orders for lashing out at Diego Simeone (right) in the last 16 against Argentina
Hoddle said after the game that Beckham’s red card changed the game but has insisted he gave the midfielder support
‘If I remember rightly – I haven’t seen the documentary – I know I went to a press conference in France after the game and said exactly the opposite,’ Hoddle said. ‘I said David cannot be made a scapegoat.
‘I presume that’s not on the doc. But I actually went out and did the opposite. I remember phoning him afterwards and asking if he wanted help, he said no, I’m OK, the club is helping me, blah blah blah. Maybe he’s forgotten that, I don’t know. But I remember that distinctly.
‘It was a dreadful time for him and he showed such character. Not about his abilities, but to come through that, and show the character that he showed, and the mentality to come through it and then see… the rest of his England career was magnificent from the lad.
‘But throw him under the bus? No way. I actually protected him in more ways than he probably knows actually.’
Victoria Beckham (pictured) heavily criticised former England manager Hoddle during the documentary series about her husband David’s life and career in football
Beckham also opens up on the extreme backlash he faced at the time in the documentary series
Hoddle fuelled the storm with his comments after the match, insisting that the sending-off changed the game and that David would have to learn from his mistake after letting his side down.
During the documentary, Victoria said: ‘Glenn Hoddle didn’t come out and try to protect him. And how old was David, 23?
‘You’re a kid at 23. Glenn Hoddle was a man. I wouldn’t say a man actually, he was an older person.’
Beckham said he wished there ‘was a pill you could take to erase certain memories’ about the time
He said he felt ‘vulnerable and alone’ despite Hoddle arguing Beckham told him his club were giving him support
Opening up on the emotionally challenging time, David said: ‘I wish there was a pill you could take to erase certain memories.
‘I felt very vulnerable and alone. There was this horrible paparazzi guy (when I returned to England) and he said: “How do you feel about letting your country down? You’re a disgrace”.
Sandra, meanwhile, was scathing of Hoddle when interviewed. She said: ‘Glenn Hoddle said his head wasn’t in the right place, didn’t he? I just put him on my hit list – people that upset me.’
