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England players hurting - Beckham

David Beckham has insisted England's millionaire footballers are suffering badly after their Euro 2008 qualification exit.

Responding to the suggestion England players do not care enough, Beckham said: "There are some people out there who will say that.

"But trust me, there is a lot of hurt in that dressing room at the moment.

"It doesn't matter how much money you earn, how many houses or cars you've got. When you lose, it hurts."

Interview: England midfielder David Beckham

After losing 3-2 to Croatia at Wembley and blowing their chance to qualify for next summer's European Championships in Austria and Switzerland, England players struggled to look to the future.

"It's pointless saying much at the end of the game, but you've got a very disappointed dressing room," said captain Steven Gerrard.

"From the player's point of view, we've got to take the criticism, get on with it, and try and bounce back.

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"But it's going to hurt for a long time.

"There's a lot more football to play in the future and we've got to bounce back. We can't feel sorry for ourselves.

"Obviously we're disappointed at the moment, but we've got to try and get it out of our system. But it will be difficult."