Beckham donates shirt to charity

Beckham replaced Stewart Downing at the start of the second half in Spain

The widow of Bobby Moore has revealed David Beckham has donated the shirt in which he made his record-equalling 108th England cap to charity.

The 33-year-old played 45 minutes of England's friendly in Spain on Wednesday to equal the late defender's record for an outfield player.

The number 17 shirt worn by Beckham will now be auctioned on behalf of The Bobby Moore Fund.

"It was a very, very generous gesture," Stephanie Moore told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"That shirt is of great emotional value to David.

"It was very kind and generous of him to donate it to the charity so we can auction it to raise funds for dedicated bowel cancer research - the disease that killed Bobby so young."

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Beckham has come in for some criticism in regard to the manner he has won some of his caps, with overall record holder Peter Shilton saying he would not mind him surpassing his total of 125 but not "if he does it with two or three-minute substitutions".

The LA Galaxy midfielder, currently on loan at AC Milan, could have a chance to surpass Moore's record in England's friendly with Slovakia on 28 March at Wembley and Stephanie is at a loss to explain why some people do not think he is worthy of so many England caps.

"How can he not be?" she said. "I don't understand why we're not proud of this man. It baffles me.

"I know Bobby would have been the first to congratulate him. David has given so much to the sport and continues to so on so many different levels across the world, we should be proud of him.

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"To have achieved 108 caps at this level, whether he goes on for part or all of the match, is considerable.

"Bobby would have smiled and said well done, congratulations, enjoy the moment and go on and do even better."

Moore died in 1993, aged 51, after suffering from bowel cancer and the fund was set-up in his honour the same year in partnership with Cancer Research UK.