Former England captain David Beckham has backed Roy Hodgson's appointment of Gary Neville as a coach ahead of Euro 2012.

The LA Galaxy midfielder formed a lethal partnership with Neville at Manchester United for over a decade during an extremely successful spell at Old Trafford.

The former Real Madrid man believes Hodgson has made a wise move in appointing the 37-year-old, insisting that the former full-back can inspire a younger generation of players.

"I think it's great. Gary has knowledge throughout the game," said the 37-year-old.

"He's been in big tournaments [and] he's played for England for many years.

"Gary has always been very vocal about many things. He's had the experience of being through tournaments and being disappointed in tournaments and knowing what he thinks have been the problems - that's why it's a clever move and great for the team.

"Let's hope we go out there and we're successful. It's a new team, young players.

"It's one of the first times we have gone into a big competition without huge, huge expectation on our shoulders - that could maybe be a good thing for the team."

Beckham holds the England cap record for an outfield player, haviung made 115 appearances for his country.