England manager Fabio Capello has brought David Beckham back into his team and says it is not just about awarding the star a 100th appearance.
He believes that the Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder might well be wearing the same white shirt at the 2010 World Cup.
"The David Beckham I know can certainly last and get to 2010 if he carries on training and working hard," said Capello, who recalled Beckham for yesterday's friendly against France.
PHOTO: AFP
"I know David Beckham and what he can give me, and I think he can make the difference in some respects. I know what he can give to a team. As for the future, we will have to see. Nobody knows what the future holds," Capello said.
Headed for his 33rd birthday in May, Beckham knows his time as an England player has to be running out after more than a decade. But the fact that Capello is happy to recall him and then talk about the star playing in his fourth World Cup gives the Galaxy player plenty of hope for the future.
"I've managed him previously and he's always been a very good professional," said Capello, who still speaks in Italian even though it's clear he understands questions in English. "Only people who are so professional can last and be at the top for so long."
The manager who has guided Italian clubs AC Milan, AS Roma, Juventus and Spain's Real Madrid to multiple titles had Beckham on his squad last season in the Spanish league.
Capello dropped Beckham in midseason when the England midfielder announced his move to Major League Soccer (MLS). But Beckham's reaction to being dropped was to train even harder than usual and, when Capello recalled him, the player was a major force in Madrid staging a strong charge in the second half of the season to capture the Spanish league title.
Beckham was also dropped by Steve McClaren, the man Capello replaced when England failed to qualify for this summer's European Championship.
But McClaren couldn't leave him out either and Beckham returned to set up goals for England with his expertly aimed crosses and passes.
He was left on 99 appearances when England failed to qualify for Euro 2008 and there was the danger he might finish there when Capello left him out of his first game in charge against Switzerland last month.
But the Italian stated Beckham was overlooked solely because the MLS season had long finished and he was not playing at the time, even though he was training in England with Arsenal.
Now back playing preseason with the Galaxy, Beckham has shown Capello he is fit enough to play for his country, even if he only comes off the bench against France.
"He will play a part," Capello told reporters at England's team hotel in downtown Paris on Tuesday. "It would have been very cruel of me to make him come all the way from the US and not play him."
France defeat Mali 3-2
Samir Nasri, Jerome Rothen and Florent Sinama-Pongolle scored in the first half to help France's ``B'' team beat Mali 3-2 in a friendly on Tuesday.
Mahamadou Diarra and Modibo Maiga replied to rally Mali in the second half.
The match offered France manager Raymond Domenech a look at some players on the fringe of his roster before he selects his squad in May for the European Championship. France's regular national team was to play England in a full international at Stade de France yesterday.
"It's interesting, the kind of match where players get a chance to show something," Domenech said. "The attack worked well."
Nasri scored in the second minute, taking a pass from Sinama-Pongolle and poking the ball inside the near post. He also hit the crossbar with a curling free kick in the 15th minute.
Mali had a chance to level in the 17th when Dramane Traore burst through and rounded Steve Mandanda, but the Marseille goalkeeper got his hand to the ball just as Traore was about to shoot.
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