David Beckham says he felt "sick" when he was dropped from the England team for their opening match of the World Cup finals in 1998 against Tunisia.

Hoddle was then England manager in 1998 World Cup

The England captain, who played for his new club Real Madrid in their 1-1 draw with Villarreal last night, believes Glenn Hoddle did not care about his feelings when the coach left him out of the starting line-up.

Beckham, in his book My Side, which is being serialised in the Sun and the News of the World, writes: "Lots of managers play mind games with the press and with opposing teams. But it seemed to me the England manager played mind games with his own players.

"I played in every game in the qualifying campaign. So when my name wasn't in the 11 for the Tunisia game I felt sick, like someone had kicked me in the stomach."

Beckham says that, when he approached Hoddle for an explanation, the England coach brushed him off with "I don't think you're focused" and went on his way to play golf. "He didn't care. It was a cold, cold moment," Beckham adds.

Hoddle did, though, restore Beckham to the starting line-up for England's match with Colombia, when he scored with a long-range free-kick. The later match against Argentina was less triumphant. Beckham was sent off for retaliation against Diego Simeone.

He recalls that he was "clattered from behind. Then, while I was down on the ground, he made to ruffle my hair, then gave it a tug. I flicked my leg up backwards towards him. It was instinctive but wrong . . . and, of course, Simeone went down as if he had been shot."

That was his lowest point in popular esteem and he was booed on the Premiership circuit the following season as fans held him responsible for England's defeat. Things could hardly be more different now as he bestrides the world stage as figure if not footballer.

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