March 26 – Becks’ Century | On This Football Day

March 26 – Becks’ Century

THE media image of England boss Fabio Capello is that of a strict disciplinarian who makes the players wear suits to dinner and bans them from frivolities like video games and mobile phones. His tenuous grasp of English means we as fans never really know what he is thinking, especially because the media tend to refrain from asking him any really difficult questions in case he doesn’t understand.

So we are left to conclude he is a humourless perfectionist who rules with an iron fist. But here at OTFD we think there is a more fiendish side to him, a mischievous side, akin to that of his lookalike Tommy Cooper.

But why do we think this dear reader? Is it because of this? Is it because he attempted to call up Ledley ‘knee made of crepe paper’ King the other day? Well partly yes, but mainly because of his handling of David Beckham since he took over as England boss.

He had barely had time to find his office and get his ‘I Love Italy’ mug in the kitchen cupboard at Soho Square before hacks were asking him whether he intended to select Becks who was stuck on 99 caps for his country.

Wily old Capello kept everyone guessing but when he announced his first England squad in February 2008, there was no room for Goldenballs. “I know there has been a lot of discussion about David Beckham,” Capello said on the FA’s Web site at the time. “The reason that David is not in the squad is because he has not had any real match practice since playing in November.”

Pundits did what pundits do and pontificated pointlessly that for Herr Beckham ze international career was over and that serious Fab was hardly likely to pick someone playing in the MLS.

But then, that was what they all said when Steve McClaren left him out of his first squad, and we all know what happened after that.

When it came to Capello’s second squad announcement, he decided he had had enough of stringing Beckham and the nation along, and picked him for a friendly with France. Becks duly picked up his long-awaited 100th cap on this day at the Stade de France as England lost 1-0 to a Frank Ribery penalty.

But rather than keep everyone guessing until the final minute, Capello had announced before the match that Becks would play. “I couldn’t make him come all the way from the USA and not play him,” the boss said.

Becks was understandably delighted in becoming the fifth player to reach a century of England caps, after Billy Wright, Sir Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore and Peter Shilton. “Obviously I am very honoured. When I started playing I never dreamt I’d get to 100.

“It is any footballer’s dream to play for your country, let alone get to 100 caps, and I want to carry on. I am very stubborn and want to carry on for as many years as possible. I proved my fitness and that was the biggest thing. It was better than I thought it would be.”

Since that day Becks has gone on to equal Bobby Moore‘s record for an outfield player of 108 caps and you really wouldn’t bet against him making it all the way to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, especially if he keeps tearing it up in Serie A with Milan.

Elsewhere on this day, a Roman and a countryman of Capello was showing the better side of his character at Upton Park. We’ll leave you with a clip of probably Becks’ finest performance in an England shirt. Until tomorrow friends…